Prizewinners 2018
The 2018 Shimon-Peres-Prize was awarded to two German-Israeli cooperation projects that achieved sustainable results benefiting both societies in very different fields with relevance for the future:

Caravan Orchestra:
other music e.V./Yiddish Summer Weimar, Deutschland &
Music Department University of Haifa/Arab-Jewish Orchestra, Israel

The music of the Middle East and Europe has many shared elements and connected roots that are often overlooked. The Caravan Orchestra, that brings together Jewish and Arab musicians from Israel with their colleagues from Germany, makes these connections visible. Cultural differences became a source of creative potential rather than bringing about conflict and division.

In the summer of 2017, the musicians came together to create a concert program that integrated the musical heritage of the participants and helped them develop their own musical language. In the process, the participants examined with their own identity as much as the culture, history and music of the other artists involved.

The Caravan Orchestra, which will continue its work in the coming years, was introduced to the public with sold-out concerts in Haifa, Erfurt and Weimar.

Learn more about the Caravan Orchestra

Out of Place:
Gesher Multicultural Film Fund, Israel, ANU-Making Change, Israel, GREENproductions, Israel & One Two Films, Deutschland

“Out of Place” is the name of a feature-length documentary movie and the German-Israeli film incubator that created it. The movie combines ten documentary shorts that have one thing in common: They give people who have been ostracized or left out due to their origin, their gender, their religion or their social status a face and a voice.

The 20 filmmakers, who were supported by professional mentors from Germany and Israel, exchanged creative ideas and met for pre and post production in Tel Aviv and Berlin. In the process, the question of how integration can succeed in our societies always took centre stage.

“Out of Place” was shown with much success at the DocAviv Film Festival in Israel and at the Jewish Film Festival Berlin-Brandenburg.

Learn more about Out of Place