What does the FUSION rocket have to do with support structures on the external European border?
For some years now, the Fusionfestival, based on the necessary strengthening of civilian sea rescue since 2013, has been offering actors working for freedom of movement a platform with the Harbour Space to talk about their work and to come into exchange with the interested audience.
There, initiatives that train and strengthen support structures for refugees and migrants globally and locally, as well as intersectionally include the concerns of queer communities, FLINTA*s and BIPOC initiatives, can also place political topics in the festival hype.
2022 we had the opportunity to talk about our work on the ground in Bihac together with filmmaker friends and to critically reflect on our own actions as a white primarily German privileged collective.
The Harbour Space is a small spot, like a pallet room: a small stage, a small bar with good coffee and waffles. That's it.
Somewhere in the background the bass is booming; this is where politically motivated people meet to inform, network and show the daily madness at the borders and the daily anti-capitalist struggles against racism, queerphobia and countries' migration policies. But it's not just about showing concern, it's also about inviting people to work together on common strategies.
Sometimes we ask ourselves: is this an alibi function between food stalls, hedonistic celebration culture and consumption? Nah, we think - they are by no means mutually exclusive. And so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity. This can be EVERYTHING with each other. Especially here we feel a great openness to our concerns, and the possibility to also endure this ambivalence.
The multitude of groups that have been running FUSION for over 20 years shows how much energy the festival is endowed with and people come, ask, want to face these contradictions.