The Berlin housing crisis has been an issue for over a decade, a struggle now compounded by the Corona pandemic that has left many renters suffering. Many of these landlords are huge corporations like Deutsche Wohnen, Vonovia, Akelius etc, with thousands of apartments but little to no empathy for the people they rent to - enter; DW & Co Enteignen (DWE).

The DWE campaign looks to bring about a referendum to reclaim thousands of apartments and make them available to the public. They are pushing for a decline in the power of these large organizations that will hopefully turn the tide on housing in Berlin. We speak to Miriam and Berta, two activists who work with DWE to mobilize the community. They share how the community has come together, why the campaign matters to everyone and the importance of their sub-group Right To the City, which fights for the rights of migrants and people with migration backgrounds in Berlin.

This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Special thanks to Berta, Miriam and the Kiez Teams for chatting with us. Thank you to RØDE, Shure and seElectronics for making our home recordings possible.

Featuring music from Epidemic Sound and audio from DW and Co Enteignen, France 24, Deutsche Welle English & Deutsche Welle, on YouTube. Our cover photo is by Gregor Fischer.

This is the final episode of All Boats but if you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more podcasts produced by us, help us make that happen by donating to our PayPal. The linked account is [email protected] - all donors will receive a virtual hug and a loving shoutout in the next episode.

Skateistan is an award-winning international NGO that empowers children through skateboarding and education in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa.

Their focus is on groups who are often excluded from sports and educational opportunities, so in this episode we speak to Alyssa Bialowas, the Communications Officer at Skateistan to find out more about the work they are doing. From their interactive classrooms to the fun of the skatepark we learn how Skateistan is providing these opportunities on a local level, working with members of the community to give children the opportunity to build their skills, become future leaders, and make new friends along the way.

We also speak to Lisa and Enos, who work in the Skateistan centre in Johannesburg, about what it looks like to be an educator at Skateistan. They share the joys of working with the kids every day, how COVID has affected the way programs are run and the conversations around mental health that are being brought to the table.

This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Special thanks to Alyssa, Lisa and Enos for joining us. Thank you to RØDE, sE Electronics, and Shure for making our home recordings possible.

Featuring music from Epidemic Sound and audio from Tedx Talks and Skateistan on YouTube, and our cover photo is by Andy Buchanan.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, help us make that happen by donating to our PayPal. The linked account is [email protected] - all donors will receive a virtual hug and a loving shoutout in the next episode.

In this episode we explore the power of the collective, through understanding what it takes to bring a community together, and once you have a community, how to ensure that they collectively thrive!

Amy Phillips founded Grrl Gang Berlin out of a desire to uplift and inspire the community of women who have made Berlin their home. While it started with interviewing friends, it now has a burgeoning online presence, and provides everything from a safe online space, to workshops, seminars and clubs to bring some incredible people together.

Sarj Lynch is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aequa, a space for social equity. Their vision is an equitable society in which every person can thrive, as we each uplift one another. Aequa opened at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought its own set of challenges, but they developed creative ways to take their programming online and provide a safe, engaged space for their community.

Check out Grrl Gang and their fantastic interviews with Berlin’s educators, creators and entrepreneurs. Please donate to the Aequa Gofundme, everything helps.

This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Special thanks to Amy and Sarj for joining us. Thank you to RØDE and Shure for making our home recordings possible.

Featuring music from Epidemic Sound and audio from Grrl Gang Instagram and Aequa on YouTube

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, help us make that happen by donating to our PayPal. The linked account is [email protected] - all donors will receive a virtual hug and a loving shoutout in the next episode.

Susan Choi is the owner and operator of Mr Susan, a gorgeous cocktail bar in Berlin. Like many restaurants and bars the world over, Mr Susan has felt the effects of Corona. But it hasn’t stopped Susan from keeping her and the community around her afloat.

In this episode we speak to Susan about how support, knowledge sharing and collaboration have been essential to the survival of the food community in this time of crisis. She also tells of how she actively uses her skills and her desire to share to amplify the voices within her community beyond the pandemic.

As a BIPOC woman with ties to Korea, America and Germany she explains how her heritage and history have not only seeped into the delicious food and cocktails she makes, but also how they have been essential in keeping partnership and support at the forefront of how she runs her business.

This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Special thanks to Susan Choi for joining us. Thank you to RØDE and Shure for making our home recordings possible.

Featuring music from Epidemic Sound and audio from Munchies and Vice News.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, help us make that happen by donating to our PayPal. The linked account is [email protected] - all donors will receive a virtual hug and a loving shoutout in the next episode.

Berlin is known to many as one of the best clubbing cities in Europe. Home to techno, free-thinking, radical expression and inclusivity - but how inclusive is it really?

This episode explores the “Politics of the Dance Floor” through the work of Transmission, a networking-platform that amplifies the politics and history of club and rave culture.

Founders, Sarah Farina and Dr. Kerstin Meißner, share how they have built a community through critical conversation. A community that enables social justice and works to create safe and inclusive dance floors for everyone. Sarah, a DJ, and Kerstin, a researcher, have looked to the intersections of academia, activism and music culture to create cultural discourse around the social issues within nightlife.

This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio and sponsored by Lingoda. Special thanks to Sarah Farina and Dr Kerstin Meißner for joining us. Thank you to RØDE, Shure and sE electronics for making our home recordings possible.

Sign-up for the Lingoda Sprint today! Register here (http://bit.ly/allboats_lingoda) with the code CHANGE1 by 16 April 2021 and get a 10€ discount on the €49 deposit.

Featuring music by Sarah Farina (Sarah Farina Live at Fusion Festival 2019, Sarah Farina Mix for Syntop 25th Edition and Sarah Farina - Get It Gurl (AF Master v.2)) and audio from Epidemic Sound, the Politics of the Dance Floor Podcast and @sarahfarinabln on Instagram.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, help us make that happen by donating to our PayPal. The linked account is [email protected] - all donors will receive a virtual hug and a loving shoutout in the next episode.

In the first episode of the All Boats series, Jill Beytin and Julia Joubert speak to Violaine Toth. Violaine is a French ceramicist, living in Berlin, who is not only making incredible work but is using her notoriety to educate and inspire her community at large.

The episode explores the birth of Violaine’s artistic style and the physical work that goes into producing her signature vases. We are introduced to the idea of using skill, trade sharing and bartering in place of paid gigs and find out what an 18 000 strong Instagram following has meant for Violaine’s role as a small business owner and in the LGBTQ+ community.

This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio and sponsored by Lingoda. Special thanks to Violaine Toth for joining us. Thank you to Oyoun for providing a recording space and to RØDE for making our home recordings possible.

Sign-up for the Lingoda Sprint today! Register here (http://bit.ly/allboats_lingoda) with the code CHANGE1 by 16 April 2021 and get a 10€ discount on the €49 deposit.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, help us make that happen by donating to our PayPal. The linked account is [email protected] - all donors will receive a virtual hug and a loving shoutout in the next episode.

Featuring audio from @instagram @design and @real_ta_daan.

Coming 12 March 2021.