SPALT is a networking conference for forging unusual alliances and new ideas. SPALT will take place from 22-26 May and is embedded in a longer camp from 17-28 May 2024.
The idea
The topics we work on and our struggles for a better world are diverse and constantly changing — today faster than ever. We believe that it’s productive to mix up our approaches and forms of action. To be inspired by previously unknown activists. To learn from the experiences of others, switch perspectives and reinvent ourselves.
SPALT24 will provide space for encounters, mutual learning, conspiratorial action, productive disputes and for forging new personal and institutional alliances. We want to create a space in which we do not ignore the diversity of our positions and approaches, but rather see them as a shared strength, which we seek to harness. SPALT24 will bring together people who might not otherwise have crossed paths, but who work on related social problems with different approaches, biographies and backgrounds.
What everyone at SPALT24 will have in common: nobody knows everyone else at the conference. But everyone there is doing important work and will return to their contexts with new ideas, projects, friends and allies.
The people
Around 750 people from various social and cultural movements and left-wing political contexts are invited to the conference. They work in activism, politics, art, science, literature, journalism, care work — and are often active at the intersection of these spheres. They fight for climate justice and against racism, for example, or for an emancipatory use of technology and against the exploitation of global South; for a city for all and against social inequality; for gender diversity and against mass surveillance. Their topics and methods are diverse and sometimes offbeat, but united by their commitment to creating a good life for all on the planet. The Hedonist International is the initiator and host of SPALT. They will open up a space that will be animated and shaped together will all participants. As soon as the conference begins, the HI becomes one participant among many.
The conference is invite only — there will be no free sale or tickets on the door.
Do it together
The basic principle of the networking camp is not just „Do It Yourself“ but „Do It Together“. SPALT thrives on participation, DIY and the joint creation of a temporary location and self-determined program. Everyone invited can be involved from set-up to dismantling – but it’s also perfectly OK to just come to the conference. Communal tasks, from cooking to cleaning the toilets, are taken on jointly by everyone.
All the people who attend contribute to the consts of the conference. There are no privileges, no free drinks, no guest list, no backstage. No one has a commercial interest in SPALT24 — nobody earns money with or at the conference. The conference is self-financed, without sponsoring institutions.
The suggested, cost-covering contribution for the camp and conference is around 75 euros per person. Those with more money pay more, those with less pay less. The conference will find an uncomplicated solution for anyone who cannot afford the contribution towards expenses. Food is available on a donation basis at the hands-on kitchen, drinks at low prices at the bar.
The program
In contrast to the previous congresses of the Hedonist International, SPALT24 is focused even more on spontaneity, discussion and networking. This means that the participants create the program with contributions that they bring with them or organize spontaneously. These can be workshops, lectures, panels, short presentations, discussion rounds, action training sessions, plays, concerts or performances — or any other or entirely new formats. As a guiding idea, we suggest that contributions should aim to provide starting points for inspiration, discussion and cooperation with other participants. After all, we want to go home with new ideas, friends, allies and projects! The Hedonist International will create various stages, spaces, and formats for these contributions. It addition, it will organize a few substantial impulses per day on social and political topics close to our hearts. Because the conference is intended to be a confidential environment, it is not geared towards media publicity or extenal presentation.
Programme will be held in German & English, translations are self-organized by participants.
The place
At SPALT24 we will create a Temporary Hedonist Zone. This means that we not only want to work together, but also enjoy together.
To this end, we’ll leave the city for the countryside. We will meet at a lake within easy reach of Berlin. There, new ideas can be sweated out in the sauna, heated discussions can be cooled down by jumping into the lake, and there’ll be space in various places for conversation, relaxation, contemplation, dancing and idleness.
The location has functional technical and sanitary infrastructure. Participants can camp on the grounds. The camp and conference will take place largely in the open air, but no one will be left out in the rain. SPALT24 is child friendly and there will be a self-managed children’s space. There will a well-organized hands-on kitchen where we will all cook together, financed on a donation basis.
The location is easy to reach by public transport or bicycle from Berlin. It will be announced to participants via email two days before the conference.
Due both to climate considerations and a lack of parking spaces, it is not possible to come by car unless you plan to sleep in it. Camper buses and vans will pay a toll of 25 euros, which will be used entirely to finance free shuttles from the nearest train station to the site. Exceptions apply for people with physical disabilities.
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