Local Hero: Verena Spilker On Elevating Opportunities for Artists in Berlin and Beyond
Verena Spilker On Elevating Opportunities for Artists in Berlin and Beyond
The TQU founder’s simple advice for those looking to support Berlin’s queer artists: ‘Be brave and be generous.’
Interview by Jill Beytin | Photos by Mario Heller | Category: Local Hero
In 2009, Verena Spilker founded Transnational Queer Underground from a bedroom in Ukraine when she became frustrated by the lack of information on bands or musicians outside of the ‘western context.’ She started compiling information on artists and musicians, and thus Transnational Queer Underground was born.
Since 2009, it has grown into an online community for those in the creative industries, and has become a platform to help underrepresented artists gain visibility. Verena’s ultimate ambition is the same as that of outlines for TQU itself:
“A world where everyone can be free.
We believe that no person is free while there are others that are not.
We want to work towards creating that freedom for all.”
We caught up with Verena before her upcoming talk at the BedTalks Berlin festival.
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LOLA is Berlin’s only freemium English-language cultural magazine, bringing the spirit of Berlin to print and digital through in-depth interviews, features, recommendations and news.
Exploring music, art, cinema, theatre, and much more, LOLA tells the stories of Berlin’s most fascinating people, events, and places, helping you to discover the best of the city.
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