How can the energy efficiency of tourist buildings be explained and communicated in a practical way? For the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Tourismus (MDZT), the German Institute for a Good Life has realised a high-quality film production that addresses precisely this question. Using the example of the Hotel Paulinenhof in Bad Belzig, the short film about the readE pilot project shows how innovative technologies – such as 3D measurement with Voxelgrid – and new evaluation methods can be applied in accordance with the EU taxonomy regulation.

difgl film production: Telling complex stories in a clear way

Under the editorial direction of Sina Heider and with the camera work of Gulliver Theis and Lucas Radermacher, an informative and visually appealing contribution has been created. The film translates technical processes and regulatory requirements into an understandable, visual language – and thus makes tangible what constitutes sustainable progress in tourism.

Our video production offers:

• Concept & editing: Contents well-researched, prepared for the target group
• Visual storytelling: High-quality camera work, modern editing technology, clear dramaturgy
• Technology meets aesthetics: 3D visualisations, drone shots & animated infographics
• Sustainable communication: Focus on future topics such as energy efficiency, digitalisation & environmental compatibility

Watch the film and read the associated e-paper now:

🎬 To the film on the MDZT website

Shaping change together

With our expertise in film production and science communication, we support organisations that are actively driving sustainable change. Let us make your vision visible.

difgl – Telling what creates the future.

The design is based on the familiar image of a newspaper – clear columns, strong typography, visual calm – and translates it into the present. At the same time, it reflects the core idea of SPLEE: to promote a transnational discourse in Europe in which different languages and perspectives coexist, overlap and complement each other.

When navigating the page, something unexpected happens: The text flows seamlessly – continuously changing its language in the process. From German to English, to Spanish, to Estonian… 24 EU official languages are part of this movement. These automatic translations are not merely a technical gimmick, but a visible symbol of Europe’s multilingualism – for the idea that understanding is always also movement, a constant “re-translation”, a flow between meanings.

The new website is more than a medium – it is a living space for European exchange, for essays, longreads and debates. It invites you to understand Europe not as a sum of nations, but as a network of voices.

Welcome to the new SPLEE platform – where language builds bridges and Europe becomes a continuous text. Feel free to visit splee.eu or splee.eu/instagram to discover what’s currently happening with the project.

However, in this episode, our guest, urban researcher Dr. Tim White, reveals a loophole in the law that is shaking this very image.

With the help of the construct of “temporary furnished housing,” rent control limits are circumvented – with noticeable consequences for Berliners.

Together with Robert Keeling and Sabine Pusch, Tim White speaks at the traditional Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London – a place with its own history of housing and non-housing.

We look back at the development of housing policy and ownership in Berlin and London and discuss how existing loopholes in the law are strategically used by large landlords today – and what we can do about it.

🎧 Listen now – wherever you get podcasts.

Podigee: https://londonberlindemocracy.podigee.io/3-neue-episode

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4dmYKgG6DfR9cattUR6Vmj

As Assistant at difgl, Denise uses her organizational talent to ensure smooth processes and supports the team in concentrating on content-related work and creative processes. Her experience in office organization and efficient work structures is a valuable asset to the institute.

In the interview, we talk about her career, the importance of good organization for productive work, and her perspective on the good life.

difgl: Efficient organization is crucial for a good working environment. What are the most important principles for you to best support a team?

Denise Braun: For me, the most important aspects are direct communication, clear task allocation, and flexibility. Then the working atmosphere remains good.

The DIFGL is committed to social change and a good life. How do you see the connection between good organization and the content-related work of such an institute?

A well-organized structure ensures that resources are used in a targeted and needs-based manner. This allows each employee to concentrate on their area and use their own strengths for the company. In my experience, this contributes to a good work-life balance.

You have experience in various industries. Are there methods or approaches from tourism economics that are also proving helpful in your work at the DIFGL?

In tourism economics, it is now more important than ever to focus on sustainability management, resource conservation, and long-term planning. Crisis management and flexibility are also an issue. This applies to all industries in which I have worked so far.

What does “the good life” mean to you personally – and what role does a well-organized working environment play in it?

A well-organized working environment enables me to complete my tasks efficiently, helps to minimize stress and increases the quality of work. This leads to greater satisfaction.

“The good life” means health, friends and family, and professional satisfaction to me. Also, everything that maintains or even increases the quality of life, long walks with my dog fulfill that!

1. Your path has led you from classical music to cultural management and research. What motivated you to combine these different disciplines?

SPO: Music has been my passion since childhood, and I decided to become a musician when I was 10 years old. My interest was never limited to playing an instrument — for me it was important to understand how a piece of music is structured, when it was written and who staged it. For example, when I played an opera, I wanted to know everything about the composer, the director, the singers and the production, even if that wasn’t important for an orchestral musician. This broad view of the arts gradually led me beyond the music interpretation framework, first to curating music, then to cultural management and research. I am convinced that different areas of life do not exist in isolation from each other and that it is always possible to find common ground between seemingly distant areas. If you combine them correctly, a “chemistry” develops that enriches both spheres much more than if they had developed in isolation.

2. At difgl, we deal intensively with social change and good living conditions. To what extent can culture – especially music – contribute to initiating social and political change?

SPO: Music is a universal language that everyone understands, regardless of education and background. For me, culture in general is a means of passing on information and values not genetically, but socially, thereby shaping the identity of a society. Since culture is closely linked to the collective consciousness, it inevitably influences social and political processes. Music can inspire, bring people together and even be a catalyst for change. That is why it is so important that state cultural policy is well thought out and contributes to positive changes in society.

3. Your research project at the Humboldt University on musical emigration shows how political conditions influence culture. What parallels do you see between historical and current developments?

SPO: The history of Russian musical emigration shows that culture has always been closely linked to political conditions. In the 1920s, the emigration of musicians was often associated with the search for creative freedom and integration into the Western cultural context (e.g. Diaghilev and Stravinsky). In the second half of the century, many musicians left the country under pressure from the Soviet regime — including Rachmaninov and Prokofiev, who became both victims of the system and its symbols. Current events are repeating these historical waves of emigration in many ways. The war in Ukraine has led to a new wave of emigration of Russian musicians, but their situation is now even more difficult. They are not only associated with a rich musical tradition, but also with the aggressor state, which affects their creativity and even hinders their careers. This cultural divide is one of the main themes of my research: We are observing today how the perception of emigrated musicians is changing through the prism of politics. In a world where the flow of information is becoming ever faster, longreads are particularly important because they allow readers to structure their thoughts and delve deeper into complex topics.

4. SPLEE is creating a streaming platform for longreads and essays from Europe. What role can such formats play in a time when attention spans are getting shorter – and how do they contribute to democratic debate?

SPO: In a world where the flow of information is becoming ever faster, longreads are particularly important because they allow readers to structure their thoughts and delve deeper into complex topics. SPLEE is not just a collection of texts, but a kind of intellectual filter that selects strong essays from all over Europe. In addition, the platform helps to overcome linguistic and national barriers so that the various EU countries can understand each other better. This creates a space for a common dialogue beyond headlines and momentary events.

5. What does “good life” mean to you personally – and what role do art and culture play in it?

SPO: For me, «good life» is a life full of meaning. And for me, meaning means recognizing yourself in society and understanding society through yourself. Culture plays a key role in this: it shapes our identity, gives us tools to interpret the world and helps us find common ground with others. I understand culture in a broad sense — from language, architecture and art to science and politics. All of this creates a frame of reference in which we recognize ourselves and our place in the world.

As difgl, we design the communication and audiovisual implementation for research projects – from conception and editing to production. Our goal is to convey scientific and technological topics not only informatively, but also visually appealing and accessible. We are particularly committed to a comprehensive and authentic representation of protagonists and research projects. Above all, the question is how to make the content of the projects tangible and communicate at eye level. The topics are often complex and multi-layered. With expertise in communication, computer science, media studies and editing, our team is able to prepare content in such a way that it can be told on various channels. Sina Heider, Project Manager, adds:

The film vividly shows how we can not only discuss future topics, but also make them tangible. The difgl brings events like the Foresight Workshop to life and understands how to authentically and excitingly depict results, participants and projects”

Interviews with: Christoph Hensler (C.I.S.T.) & Jan-Uwe Riest (Gut Boltenhof)
Editorial: Sina Heider
Camera & Production: Gulliver Theis
Interviews conducted by: Fabienne Sand

Fabienne Sand: What does the concept of the “good life” in a democratic society mean to you personally, and how do you want to highlight this connection between political participation and individual well-being in the podcast?

Sabine Pusch: In a world where populism is on the rise and more and more people feel alienated from their governments, Rob and I are interested in exploring London’s and Berlin’s approaches to promoting civic engagement. A “good life” means so many different things to different people, and we want to learn more about how these approaches vary in two of Europe’s greatest capitals.

Berlin and London are also the focus of the podcast as starting points for your work. What commonalities and differences have you noticed so far in terms of societal challenges and solutions, and why are these cities particularly exciting for comparison?

We decided to compare Berlin and London because they are cities that we both know well – Rob better than Sabine, as he lived there for several months with his family. Sabine’s connection is more indirect: Although I am German, I have spent my whole life in the UK. However, my grandfather comes from Berlin. In fact, my great-great-grandfather – with the unfortunate name Heinrich Adolf Pusch – was a hatter for the Emperor in the 19th century! Rob and I decided that our first interview should be with people who run citizens’ assemblies in Berlin and London. These actors are actively working to promote civic engagement in Germany and the UK. The approaches in the two cities were interesting both in their commonalities and in their differences: In Berlin, the process seems to be more top-down, as politicians direct the questions to the citizens’ assembly. In London, on the other hand, the approach is more “bottom-up”, with the public’s concerns and problems being brought to the politicians. Both approaches have their strengths, but we agreed that the biggest challenge remains how to reach people on the margins of society.

What journalistic principles guide you in creating a podcast that deals with complex issues such as democracy, climate change and social justice? How do you find the balance between information, entertainment and depth?

A podcast is a very intimate medium, as it is almost always listened to by individuals with headphones. That’s why I think podcasts work best when they have a conversational style. It is important that the listeners feel like they are part of the conversation, rather than being lectured. This does not mean that we cannot deal with in-depth ideas, but I always try to get contributors to explain their concepts in a way that is understandable to everyone. I remember my professor at university saying, “If you can’t explain something to an intelligent 16-year-old, then you don’t really understand it yourself.” That’s why I always work according to the BBC’s motto: inform, educate and entertain.

🎧 Listen now – and join the discussion! Together for a democratic, liveable Europe.

Democracy & Quality of Life in a City Comparison – Berlin & London: The difgl presents a new podcast series with the PhD physicist and public policy expert Rob Keeling and the British-German filmmaker Sabine Pusch.

In an era marked by rising populism and societal alienation, the new podcast series explores what constitutes a “good life” within a democratic society and the roles cities like Berlin and London play in fostering civic engagement and societal well-being. How can democracy and political involvement enhance the quality of life in urban spaces? The first episode premieres this week. Sabine Pusch was able to answer some questions about the new project. One thing is certain: “The Good Life: Berlin – London” can serve as a moral compass and a source of positive inspiration for those seeking hope in dark times, amidst unstable democracies and the rise of populism.

Fabienne Sand: What does the concept of a “good life” in a democratic society mean to you personally, and how do you intend to highlight this connection between political participation and individual well-being in the podcast?

Sabine Pusch:
In a world where populism is on the rise and people feel increasingly alienated from their governments, Rob and I want to explore approaches in London and Berlin to strengthen civic engagement.
The “good life” means very different things to different people. We want to find out how the approaches in these two great European capitals differ.

Fabienne Sand: Berlin and London are the starting points of your work (also) in the focus of the podcast. What similarities and differences have you noticed so far in terms of societal challenges and solutions, and why are these cities particularly exciting for comparison?

Sabine Pusch:
We decided to start with a comparison of Berlin and London because we both know the cities well – Rob better than I do. He lived there for several months with his family. My connection to Berlin is more indirect: Although I am German, I have spent my whole life in the UK. However, my grandfather came from Berlin, and my great-great-grandfather – a somewhat worrying name, Heinrich Adolf Pusch – made hats for the Emperor in the 19th century. We conducted our first interviews with people who organize citizens’ assemblies in Berlin and London. Both cities are actively working to promote civic engagement. The approaches are interesting in their similarities and differences:

• Berlin: Here, the initiative seems to come more from the top – politicians pose a question to the citizens’ assemblies.
• London: The approach is more bottom-up – the concerns and pressure of the public are brought to the politicians.

Both approaches have their advantages. Nevertheless, the challenge remains to involve people who are on the margins of society.

Fabienne Sand: What journalistic principles guide you in creating a podcast that deals with complex topics such as democracy, climate change, and social justice? How do you strike a balance between information, entertainment, and depth?

Sabine Pusch:
A podcast is a very intimate medium, as it is almost always listened to by one person alone with headphones. Therefore, a podcast works best when the style is conversational. It is important that listeners feel like they are part of the conversation, rather than being lectured. This does not mean that we cannot cover topics in depth. But I always try to ensure that our guests explain their ideas in a way that is understandable to everyone. My university professor once said: “If you can’t explain something to an intelligent 16-year-old, then you haven’t really understood it yourself.” That’s why I work according to the BBC’s motto: inform, educate, and entertain.

We are already looking forward to the first podcast episode from January 28, 2025!

Your work often seems to operate at the intersection of physicality, materiality, and technology. How does the idea for a performance come about – does it begin with an idea of movement, a particular material, or a technical experiment?
It varies greatly: In Women at the Stove, kitchen utensils made of metal, magnets on costumes and kitchen walls were at the beginning – so the material. In addition, there were electromagnets in the platform soles of the shoes, which can, for example, magnetize brooms and pots and release them again – so a technical experiment. In the performance Latex, on the other hand, the idea of movement gave the first impulse: When watching a classical ballet, I had the idea of making the immense power with which dancers jump visible. For this, I attached the hem of a highly stretchable latex dress to the floor: The force of the jump is thus braked. When the dancer figure jumps, the dress visually stretches far in length, while the latex fabric simultaneously slaps audibly against the legs.

You often expose your body to extreme physical stress in your work. What role does this boundary experience play in the statement of your performances? And how do you reflect on the expectations of female bodies in the process?
In the performance Ytong, I dance flamenco on a Ytong stone, with thick spikes under my dancing shoes – until the stone is broken down into rubble and dust. Through an act of destruction, I reach my physical limits by dismantling the base, the pedestal on which I dance. It becomes increasingly fragile until I fall down. Here, the sculpture is not created in a conventional artistic creation process, but through its reversal, the destruction. At the same time, I am dismantling the image of the dancer: From the initially “classical” flamenco – in pumps, with castanets – the destruction of the base turns into a swaying balancing act. The flamenco increasingly gets out of time, my movements become arrhythmic, rowing, until I fall.

How do you choose your materials, and what do they reveal about the narratives you want to tell?
I check the materials for their choreographic usability: How do they break, fall, shatter, stretch, sound, swing? Are the material processes and resulting sounds interesting? Are the materials and their installative arrangement coherent, do narratives arise that I sometimes, but not always, control. In the performance Spare Tires, I dealt with the racing driver Clärenore Stinnes; for me, her story was a kind of underground on which I worked. Often, however, the images and stories arise in the minds of viewers and art critics: In Muddclubsolo, I wear a red outdoor tent as a dress and hang on my hair, which is braided into a braid, which reminded many of the figure of Olympia from the stories of E.T.A. Hoffmann.

The theme of femininity runs like a red thread through your work. How do you define modern femininity in an artistic context – especially in the field of tension between autonomy, technology, and body?
It is very often about images of women and women’s roles. When I started my studies at the Art Academy in Munich, there was a shelf “Women” in the library. It was that simple: The few performance artists that existed at that time were simply sorted into a corner. That was striking! Specifically, I ask different questions in my performances. An example: For millennia, women in almost all parts of the world have been reduced to the kitchen and the stove. They were confined and restricted in the smallest space, in their freedom of movement, in their actions, in short: in their dignity as individual personalities with all their possibilities. And although this has changed a lot in our society, much of what women can do and do is still ranked rather low on the scale of values. With Women at the Stove, I return to the place where women were deprived of their dignity: It is a heavy metal art performance with household appliances. Emancipated, self-confident, with a lot of energy. The kitchen becomes a percussive-scenic sound space, the woman at the stove becomes an artist who is all that women have long been forbidden to be: visible, loud (also quiet), unique.

Your performances often work even without your physical presence, such as in installations or retrospectives. What does this independence of your works mean for your role as a performer and artist?
Actually, it only means that I don’t always have to be physically present.
I once tried to perform with an installation running independently of me, the Walking Machine. That was a machine that had seven pairs of dancing shoes running at the same time. These shoes were prepared by me with different materials, so that they produced different sounds. In the process, I realized that it is uninteresting to perform with a stoically running machine. Ultimately, the Walking Machine became an exhibit.
Unlike my performances, my installations are performative in that they move, but they are self-contained, mostly repetitive performances.

The difgl deals with questions of the good life and social transformation. In your opinion, what impulses can art – especially performative installation art – give to think about alternative ways of life and technologies?
Art is always creative and innovative, so there is hardly any area that provides more impulses for social transformation. That is a truism. Whether performance and installation can do this better than other art forms, I do not know. But certainly installations fit into our time of machines, and performance has emerged as a liberation from the constraints of conventional art settings, so both carry highly topical impulses: The installation the mechanical, the performance the great challenge that absolute freedom brings with it: Here it is a matter of casting an anchor again and again in the vast ocean of possibilities.