Cinema Partners

Kammerspiele Kleinmachnow, Germany

The Arthouse cinema Neue Kammerspiele in Kleinmachnow, Germany is co- initiator and project lead of Connecting Cinemas. They operate as a cooperative and have become a cultural center in Kleinmachnow over the last years. They know how to attract guests with a diversity of food and drinks, served at the restaurant Schröders found in the lobby of the cinema. Together they integrate their audience with fancy events like “favourite movie with a buzz” to give them a cinema experience they won’t forget.
www.neuekammerspiele.de

Šibenik, Croatia

Our partner Fortress of Culture Šibenik is located in Sibenik in Croatia and impresses their audience not only with their diverse program but also with the amazing locations at the St. Michael’s Fortress and at the Barone Fortress. These unique venues combine past, present and future using modern technologies such as 3D mapping that shows the origin of Sibenik on the walls of the 15th century water tanks at St. Michael’s Fortress and augmented reality (AR) at the Barone Fortress that enables visitors to experience 17th century Šibenik. 
Variety of programs include  special events like concerts, movie nights, promotions and workshops. Just to name a few: concerts at beautiful open-air summer stage at St. Michael’s Fortress and movie nights under the stars at the Barone Fortress with popular cinema format called Wednesdays around the world where they show awarded movies as a window to the World. This format was originally developed for the audience development program Friends Club of Sibenik Fortresses that currently counts more than 11.000 members.
One of the challenges that awaits the Fortress of culture in the next period is the opening of a new cultural venue House of Arts Arsen, the former cinema hall renovated by the City and named after one of the greatest artists of recent Croatian history – Arsen Dedić. New venue will have a year-round program and will hold cinema screenings, music and stage events, theatre performances, exhibitions and conferences. 
The Fortress of Culture’s main focus lays on constant improvement of sustainable cultural heritage management, close cooperation with the local community, audience development and the improvement of visitor’s experience.
www.tvrdjava-kulture.hr

Rasnov, Romania

Our cinema partner from Romania, Cinema Amza Pellea, is located in Rasnov, South-East of Transylvania, being one of the main tourist attractions of Romania. The cinema started its activity in 1924 being managed by the Weber family and after 1948 by the public authorities. Next to the cinema, on the top of the hill, you can enjoy the beautiful medieval Rasnov Fortress where also events take place. The History and Film Festival, held annually since 2009, attracts thousands of visitors each year with its diverse programs including concerts, debates, exhibitions and movies. The Festival fills a gap in the Romanian cultural – and educational – landscape, by capitalizing historic films and documentaries through innovative events and activities aimed at promoting dialogue on fundamental contemporary issues, grounded in solid knowledge and understanding of history. The festival was born out of the idea that history could and should be approached differently in order to reach out to the larger public and younger generations.
www.facebook.com/CinematografulAmzaPelleaRasnov

Veria, Greece

Cinema Star from Veria in Greece is able to connect generations and the local community since 1953. The cinema is run as a family business, now managed by the 3rd generation. Except for two indoor cinema halls the highlight is the pretty outdoor area on top of the cinema where you can watch movies in a green environment. Their program is also not limited to only showing movies but gives a place for people interested in having discussions following a movie, theater performances and other cultural events. 
www.cinestar.gr

Creative Action Labs

Public Art Lab Berlin

The Public Art Lab Berlin is the co-initiator and curatorial partner of Connecting Cinemas. Based  in Berlin since 2008 the action research lab and platform for urban media art investigates, curates, and produces artistic projects in the urban public sphere at the intersection of media arts, urban planning and creative technologies. PAL is specialised in creative citymaking, citizen science and translocal dialogue that empower social interactions and citizens’ engagement. Public Art Lab is initiator of the Connecting Cities Network.
www.publicartlab.org

KEA European Affairs, Belgium

KEA European Affairs is located in Brussels, in Belgium and is an international policy design research centre specialised in culture, creative sectors and sports. Since 1999, KEA has been a pioneer in the field of culture and creative industry policy. KEA’s mission is to provide policy advice to make territories, organisations and people more aware of their cultural and creative resources, to unlock the potential of culture including heritage for economic and social development and to mainstream culture and sports in different policy areas. 
KEA set up the b.creative network in the context of Creative Tracks, a EU co-funded project aimed at connecting cultural operators all over the world. Now b.creative – the global network for cultural & creative entrepreneurs gathers entrepreneurs across all sectors of the arts, culture and creative / digital industries, predominantly cross-sectorial in 116 countries. 
www.keanet.eu
www.bcreativetracks.com

Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Netherlands

Hogeschool van Amsterdam is based in the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It is one of our action research and university partners. HvA inspires students to develop creative solutions and sustainable innovations to address future problems and challenges. In this context, connection is key: connection between theory and practice, between learning and working, between students and society, and between the local community and the world. E.g. The Lectorate of Play & Civic Media is an interdisciplinary research group at the Amsterdam University of Applied sciences that manages research and education programs in the fields of playful interaction, virtual reality and civic media. Researchers in our group explore both the design process of these new technologies, as well as their application and societal impact.
With their expert knowledge the Amsterdam University of Applied sciences will help us to develop interactive cinema formats and ideas to implement the goals of Connecting Cinemas. 
www.amsterdamuas.com
www.playandcivicmedia.com

M2C Bremen

The M2C Institute for Applied Media Technology and Culture was founded in 2007 as an associated non-profit research institution to the City University of Applied Sciences Bremen in Germany. It  runs the Digital Impact Labs in the state of Bremen, experimental, non-formal learning spaces for digital activities and participatory workshops. The M2C fuses the perspectives of applied media science in informatics, organizational development and cultural studies: more than ever the media embody the link between the individual and society, work, economy, and especially between creative ideas and economic, social, ecological and cultural development.
www.m2c-bremen.de
www.impact-lab.eu