Refuge Worldwide launches crowdfunding campaign to stay on air

Berlin community radio station Refuge Worldwide has launched a crowdfunding campaign to ensure it can continue broadcasting.

On its GoFundMe page, the team behind Refuge Worldwide said the station requires €50,000 to help cover costs as it plots a move away from its current home at Oona Bar in Weserstraße to a second space in Neukölln's Böhmischer Platz.

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While Refuge Worldwide opened its new space in June 2024, it requires funds to relocate permanently from Oona Bar, a move it says will help it tackle costs at a time when arts organisations in Germany are facing rent increases and "a political climate that is hostile toward independent spaces and grassroots culture."

In a statement posted via Instagram on Friday (June 20), the team said the campaign is an "open call for support" to help "secure the future of the radio station."

"Over the last few years, we’ve built a space where artists, collectives, people young and old can come together to share music, stories and knowledge, broadcasting live from Neukölln to the world," they continue.

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"Providing 300+ workshops, transmitting over 12,000 radio shows, coordinating 3000 hours of teaching - with the contributions of so many incredible people, Refuge Worldwide has become part of the fabric of this city," the statement adds. "The truth is, we need help to keep this going."

You can read Refuge Worldwide's full statement below, and donate to its GoFundMe campaign, here.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter