Together in colour and community

The Project Room brimmed with colour and conversation on 18 October as Beyond Borders celebrated 25 years of sister city ties between Windhoek and Berlin. The night paired a panel with Reframe’s Home of Mine exhibition, featuring photographers Julia Runge and Martha Mukaiwa. Lize Ehlers, as DJ Rise Elders, and Drag Night Namibia filled the evening with music and spectacle. Delegations from Berlin, Mexico City and Jakarta attended, adding international exchange. Equal Namibia mounted a storytelling installation that traced activism and memory in the queer community. Remarkably, the evening was organised without funding. Patrick Reissner and Julia Runge led a volunteer team that pulled the programme together. Although Berlin is often called the rainbow city, anniversary funding did not reach queer led projects, so this grassroots event provided vital visibility during the celebrations. Attendees left with new contacts, renewed energy and a clear sense that art can open space for social change.