Festival-Awareness at Kosmos
For a KOSMOS where everyone feels welcome.
2025 is the European Capital of Culture year in Chemnitz – a year full of encounters, change, and visions for solidarity and togetherness.
As reflect.awareness e.V., we are proud to be part of this special year: we support multiple events of the European Capital of Culture 2025 and actively contribute through consultation, training, workshops, and on-site awareness support.
In June, a particular highlight awaits: the KOSMOS Festival from 13–15 June 2025 – a large, non-commercial, free festival in the heart of Chemnitz with over 100,000 attendees.
On 14 June 2025 we will be on site with our awareness team.
Preparations and workshops
In the lead-up to the KOSMOS Festival 2025, we conducted various workshops covering topics such as social justice, awareness fundamentals, and the self-conception of event organizers in the context of awareness.
Together with participants, we explored questions about social power structures, reflected on personal positioning, and discussed approaches to responsibility.
Additionally, we provided awareness training for the European Capital of Culture volunteer program and worked with the event organizers to develop discrimination-sensitive structures for different events.
What Awareness means to us
The KOSMOS Festival should be a place where everyone can move freely and safely – regardless of gender, background, disability, sexual orientation, social status, or other ascribed identities.
Awareness means interacting mindfully, respecting boundaries, acting in a discrimination-sensitive way, and taking responsibility for each other.
That’s why on 14 June 2025, an experienced awareness-team will be present across the festival site – visible, approachable, and supportive.
You can find us at three fixed awareness-points, marked on the site map, as well as a mobile awareness team moving flexibly across the grounds.
What We Do at the Festival
- Ensure that respectful interaction and solidarity are felt throughout the festival.
- Support anyone affected by incidents – regardless of what happened.
- Help make discrimination and power structures visible and counteract them.
Foundations of our work
Power of definition
You decide what is acceptable to you and how you experienced a situation. The awareness team listens to you, takes your perspective seriously, and does not question your experience.
Partiality
We stand alongside those who have experienced discrimination, violence, or boundary crossing behavior.
Our awareness work is grounded in an anti-sexist, anti-discriminatory stance and consistently opposes all forms of violence.
How to recognize us on site
Our team consists of 11 people, stationed at three awareness points on the festival grounds, as well as a mobile awareness team moving throughout the site.
You can recognize us by our pink vests with the reflect.awareness logo.
The awareness points include an open info stand and a protected space to retreat, offering conversation partners, support, information, and, if needed, refreshments.
Additionally, there is a separate safe(er) space at another location, which is not publicly accessible.
You can approach us if:
- You feel uncomfortable or witness boundary- crossing behavior
- You are personally affected by discrimination or violence
- You have questions or need information
Awareness is a shared responsibility
Let’s work together to make the KOSMOS Festival a space where we can celebrate freely and respectfully with each other.