Berlin faces the loss of hundreds of studios – #SaveOurStudiosBerlin petition launched

Date: September 24, 2025

The #Berlin #art #scene is sounding the #alarm: 368 subsidized studio spaces in 28 buildings are in danger. With the #SaveOurStudiosBerlin petition, #artists and cultural #initiatives are calling on the Berlin Senate to permanently secure and expand these workspaces. They are the backbone of the independent scene and the foundation of Berlin's international appeal as a cultural metropolis.

Supporters can sign the petition online at: innn.it/save-our-studios-berli…

Background and concerns
- There are currently around 1,924 state-subsidized #workspaces in Berlin, 1,199 of which are dedicated to the visual arts.
- Funding is provided as part of the State of Berlin's so-called Workspace Program (ARP).
- The petition links the issue to statements about the city's artistic diversity, cultural relevance, and international appeal:Subsidized studios are essential places where new ideas emerge and cultural production flourishes.
- The initiators emphasize that many artists have limited budgets—often the upper limits for affordable studio space are €300/month (for pure workspaces) or €700/month (for studio apartments).
- It is also pointed out that there are tens of thousands of active artists in Berlin, while the supply of subsidized studiosis significantly lower – the ratio of demand to available space is therefore very tight.Demands of the petition

The petition formulates clear political goals:
1. Permanent protection of currently subsidized studio locations through appropriate legal, financial, and organizational measures so that they are not endangered or dissolved.
2. Preservation and expansion of workspaces for artists with lower incomes so that cultural production does not become a luxury. 3. Politicians, in particular the Berlin Senate Department of Culture and the House of Representatives, should take greater responsibility than before and consider cultural promotion to be a central component of urban identity and quality of life.

Significance & impact
- The petition aims to build political pressure and bring the issue of studio funding to the forefront as a structural issue—especially in budget negotiations for the years 2026/2027.
- The signatures are intended to send a clear message: cultural infrastructure is not a luxury, but vital for the artistic scene and for Berlin as a creative metropolis.
- The media and experts are already pointing to the growing shortage of studio space and the increasing pressure on the cultural scene in Berlin. monopol-magazin.de

Concluding remarks
The future of Berlin's independent art and cultural scene depends not only on creative minds, but also on stable, accessible spaces. #SaveOurStudiosBerlin aims to ensure that these spaces continue to exist in the future – for everyone who urgently needs them.

#petition