© Ines BacherFree Republic of Vienna is a pioneering cultural initiative that radically democratises decision-making within Europe’s largest cross-over festival by empowering citizens to co-shape its future.
DEMOCRATISING CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
Art and cultural festivals often fail to reflect societal realities, with decision-making concentrated in the hands of a few curators. The Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) challenges this by introducing the Free Republic of Vienna, an initiative launched in 2024 to radically democratise all levels of decision-making. Rooted in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—which guarantees the right to participate in cultural life—this transformation marks a historic shift in how large-scale cultural events can be shaped by the people they aim to serve.
THE COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC
A central aspect of this shift is the establishment of the Council of the Republic, a group of 80 diverse Vienna residents who influence key decisions regarding the festival. The council ensures the festival aligns with the Vienna Declaration, a set of ten future mandates developed through weeks of public hearings, five of which will be implemented by 2025. Council members are actively involved in shaping the festival’s programming, ensuring that diverse voices are heard and represented.
A FESTIVAL OF THE FUTURE
In 2024, the Vienna Festival became the world’s first cultural festival to adopt its own constitution, initiating a five-year participation process to fully realise the Vienna Declaration. This bold move transforms the institution into a festival of the future—one where participation replaces passive cultural consumption. The Free Republic of Vienna has already sparked lasting change in Vienna’s cultural scene, reinforcing culture’s socio-political relevance and positioning it as a vital and democratic pillar of communal life.
