_ About Us
We are plan A+ e. V., a network of creatives founded in Berlin in 2020 who act in a forward-looking, environmentally and socially responsible way in the fields of design, architecture, art, crafts, food, science and business.
Together we want to promote the move to a responsible everyday life for all.
The last decades have shown that, through the way we live, produce, and consume, we are single-handedly maneuvering our society into a dead end. It is high time that we rethink these patterns.
How can we break learned behaviour, establish new values, and actively shape a more socio-ecological world? What does it mean to be human today, and how can we as humans live with nature instead of exploiting it?
We are interested in how these challenges might be achieved by the fostering of small-scale circular economies.
With plan A+ e. V. we bundle the different perspectives, ideas, practices and approaches of our members with the aim of making this knowledge about a conscious way of life tangible, experienceable and applicable for everyone.
We invite all cultural practitioners and the general public to learn from and with each other.
As a non-profit organisation we offer space for personal exchange and an interdisciplinary platform for experimentation at the Lobe Block Terrassenhaus Berlin.
Our workshops, panel discussions and interactive exhibitions are especially aimed at the local independent creatives, visitors and our neighbourhood ranging from younger and older people.
We believe that everyone has a will to create and the potential to develop it.
We believe that society changes when it experiences a different idea of itself.
We believe that culture is a driving force for change and all it takes is: Action!
Makers and future enthusiasts, partners and supporters – we want to connect with everyone who shares our optimistic view of a better way of existence for people and the environment.
_ Founding Team
Eliza Helmerich ( Design )
Co-Founder | Research & Creative Development
Bettina Klein ( Cultural Management )
Co-Founder | Executive Director
Michael Heim ( Architecture )
Co-Founder | Panel Host
Maximiliane Schäffer ( Political Communication )
Co-Founder | Workshop Direction
Canan Yilmaz
Co-Founder | Volunteering
Maike Schnell ( Design )
Co-Founder | Volunteering
Pascal Sorg ( Art )
Co-Founder | Volunteering
_ Advisory Board
Dr. phil. Florian Sametinger
Josephine von Mitschke-Collande
Olivia Reynolds
Elke Falat
_ Creation
Photography
Ronald Dick | Portrait
David von Becker | Architecture
Music
JJ Kramer | Unknown Spheres – Album
Graphic
Catrin Sonnabend | Editorial Design Poster
Jan Henrik Arnold | Typography Poster
_ Our Motivation
For too many years, we found it incomprehensible to wake up in a world that scientists and economists already warned us about in the 1970s. It would be fatal, if after 50 years, we still don't find creative ways to live in cooperation and equality with each other and nature.
We cannot only wait for governments to proactively enact climate policy laws to tackle the global crisis. Instead we feel the need to narrow down the complexity of this crisis by focusing on a smaller radius and our tangible local network and environment: The growing variety of holistically acting creatives, informed consumers, organisations and manufacturers, actively working on the application of future-proof solutions since many years.
The will to advance society is an elementary need and drive, and is therefore at the heart of plan A+. We want everyone to participate in it by rethinking entrenched thought processes and breaking repetitive, destructive patterns of behaviour.
Through plan A+ we want the urban community of Berlin and its visitors to experience what it means to participate in cultural change in a self-determined and human and nature scaled way.
_ Our Goals
We want a new paradigm for local, cultural and economic processes: The economic globalisation has undermined local economies and community living, yet we know that local cooperation leads to social cohesion and resilience and is a powerful way to deal with crisis situations.
Through plan A+ we aim to concretely address the problems and tie in the needs of different groups of people who want to be part of a positive change:
Creative Culture
Independent designers, architects and artists working and experimenting in the field of future-proof ways of living and producing need a platform to actively connect across disciplines, exchange about problems and holistic solutions, collaborate on experiments, share knowledge and cooperatively present possible future-proof solutions, products and services to a local audience on a regular basis.
> Plan A+ wants to offer a physical and digital space for interdisciplinary exchange.
Ecological small-scale Businesses, Manufacturers & Artisans
Regional manufacturers, businesses, artisans and technology play a major role in ensuring eco-friendly, local and ethical production. But working less profit-oriented and more value-oriented is a true challenge for every one, especially financially. If there would be more local demand for regional goods and services, the variety of small-scale businesses would increase and the production costs would decrease. In this way regional, fair and organic products can become more democratic and affordable to everyone.
> Plan A+ wants to foster direct-to-consumer trade by small-scale economies.
Consumers
Consuming, repairing and sharing fair, locally and ecologically is not yet advanced, widespread and inclusive enough. For the majority it's a time-consuming luxury and this has to change.
Direct-to-consumer prices, more local visibility, and demand for regional, organic and fair quality goods and services, grow the variety of small-scale businesses while production costs and sales prices decline. Together with you we want to make socio-ecological behaviour and consumption more democratic and affordable to everyone.
In a planetary ecological emergency, we also need a profound educational shift and a strong local infrastructure, so that everyone can become part of this transformation process. Therefore we especially want to approach children and younger people through practical workshops hosted by creatives who want to pass on their knowledge, skills and solutions to the next generations.
> The plan A+ platform wants to improve the circle between socio-ecological thinkers, local makers and consumers on a very local level.
_ Our Values
Creative Action + Cooperation + Mindfulness + Authenticity + Responsibility + Transparency + Aesthetic
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Plan A+ is an experimental attempt to create a space to experience and explore future-proof values together.