Turning the page (a major one BTW)
Last week, when we were in the Hangar, we heard the rumors from the guards that the shelter as we know it, was being vacated and the people living in it, transferred either to the Tempohomes (the village of temporary houses that has being built on the old airport’s tarmac for about 6 months or a bit more).
We have been preparing for this moment for long, getting in touch with people to continue the playdates either at Tempohomes or elsewhere, to make sure that this essential part of our project does not end with the closing of the temporary shelter in Tempelhof. We four have agreed long ago, that we would find out about this overnight, and would need to inform the community that we would be taking a hiatus. Luckily for us, the administration of the shelter was always transparent with us and informing as much as possible. We couldn’t have wished for a better relationship with them.
Finally, today we were informed that the shelter is being closed down. It is time now turn the page, and of course, to inform all of you what we know so far.
So… where are the people living in Tempelhof going?
We have seen a decrease in the number of families living in the shelter at a rapid pace in the last 4 months. Some of our kids got transferred to a new shelter. Others found homes.
A lot of the new people are going to get their new container homes. This is, to our eyes at least, much better than the Hangars. The containers are closed, clean, and they are much more private than what they have now.
Even though this is absolutely not a permanent housing solution, nor it should be seen as that, this is a step (maybe a baby step, but still!) forward. We trust that more steps will be taken in order to accommodate our dear friends better, but it’s a process and we must respect it. We have decided to take a neutral position on this issue and support as best as we can.
And what will happen to the Playdates?
As mentioned, we have been in touch with the administration of the shelter and other authorities. All have been really transparent and open with us, and we have nothing but good words about them.
We will continue our activities, but until further notice, we will respect the process of transferring the people and their work, allowing space for the workers and not putting pressure on them. They need as much support as anyone else. We are all in this together.
Whether it is by bringing our art to the Tempohomes, or trying to find other viable alternatives, we are working tirelessly. We will resume in a short period.
We will take this time to review our budget, do an inventory of what we have (spoiler alert: we’re almost broke), and keep on organizing our next event and studying other projects.
But… do you still need donations?
Yes. Due to the fact that we have been in this long registration process (now almost completed), we called ourselves to silence and did not request donations.
Still, wonderful people have reached out and started seeking alternatives, like donating art materials. We will send an update on this shortly.
Now we are in talks with our lawyers to regularize our tax activities and finalize our registration process, so this playdates hiatus actually comes in handy.
Last but not least, we would like to thank Tamaja GmbH for almost two years of joint work. We are short on words on how helpful the whole staff has been. We won’t name any names (Datenschutz, you know 🙂 ) but we want you to know that our wonderful Saturdays and the community that grew around our weekly meetings wouldn’t have been possible without your support. For this, and much more, THANK YOU <3
We’ll be back soon!
Tanya, Clemmie, Stina, María & all the rest of the H1 Crew
