Successful “Sharing light 4Ukraine” campaign
As part of the campaign “Sharing light 4Ukraine: Leipzig, Brussels, Kyiv and you“, the LUCI network collected 100 flashlights from various cities and LUCI members. The torches have arrived in Leipzig and are on their way to Ukraine. The lamps were handed over on the occasion of a visit in Leipzig by representatives of the Kiev city administration.
We would like to express our gratitude to all of the participants.
“This action is certainly a rather small contribution, but one building block of many in the context of the so important support for Ukraine and in its own way underlines the great international solidarity,” says Marit Schulz, Head of Leipzig Festival of Lights from Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing (LTM) GmbH.
Mark Burton-Page, General Director of LUCI adds: “We are proud of this result of Sharing light 4Ukraine. It shows that LUCI is a strong, active and solidary community and the action is directly related to a statement of the LUCI Executive Committee in March 2022: The fundraising campaign strengthens international cooperation, actively involves local people and sets an example for freedom and human rights. With this action, we are sharing light in a very special way – and with it we are also sharing hope: hope for a speedy peace in Ukraine and a bright future for its people.”
Since the beginning of the war, there has been a wave of donations and help from private individuals, many initiatives, associations, companies and the City of Leipzig for Ukraine and the people who have fled because of the war. More than 10,000 refugees from Ukraine now live in Leipzig. On 15 March 2022, the Leipzig City Council approved an aid budget totalling nine million euros, which was increased by a further two million euros in May 2022. One third of the funds is earmarked for the procurement of technical and medical aid supplies for Ukraine, especially for Leipzig’s twin city Kiev.
Background: Why (pocket) lamps of all things?
The installation “Menschen” (People) is a project by artist Philipp Morvan, and consists of around 1,000 torches. After stops in Leipzig (2019) and Lyon (2022), the installation was on display at the Bright Festival “Follow the Light” in the City of Brussels (2023).
Several cities that are part of the LUCI network, who also organize Light Festivals themselves, took this as an opportunity to launch a fundraising campaign for Ukraine. An action that wants to symbolically bring light into these dark times, but also represents very practical support for the people in Ukraine. Leipzig is a twin city of both Lyon and Kiev and supports the project logistically and in terms of communication.
The LUCI network has close to 70 city members, including Leipzig. Our international network has set common goals for the future of light festivals: These should be sustainable, internationally cooperative, locally participatory and “made by people for people”. The fundraising campaign strengthens international cooperation, actively involves local people and sends a strong signal for freedom and human rights. It follows the LUCI approach “Light can be a Beacon of Hope“.
Leipzig and Kiev – partners since 1961
The twinning agreement between Kiev and Leipzig was signed as early as 1961 and renewed in 1992. This makes Kiev Leipzig’s oldest twin city. Kiev has only been the capital of the independent state of Ukraine since 1991. Kiev is a trade fair centre with national and international trade fairs and an important industrial location (mechanical engineering and shipbuilding, textile, food, clothing and building materials industries). The main areas of cooperation include business, social affairs, and school partnerships. Source: https://www.leipzig.de/buergerservice-undverwaltung/partnerstaedte/kiew
In cooperation with: #brightfestival #lichtfestleipzig #simplysaxony #LUCInetwork #StandWithUkraine
Photos ©Andreas Schmidt
Original press release: LTM GmbH, Jutta Amann j.amann@ltm-leipzig.de I www.leipzig.travel I www.lichtfest.leipziger-freiheit.de
