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‘Everyday Spaces’: Bringing Democracy into Daily Life
Democracy does not take place only in parliaments and committees. We are convinced that it begins at the grassroots level – every day, everywhere. With our Everyday Spaces programme, we aim to bring democracy into places people encounter in their daily lives. Here, we show how this can work in practice.
Through Everyday Spaces, we seek to build bridges between democracy and everyday life. Since January 2024, we have been supporting operators of a wide range of venues across Germany as they launch small‑scale democracy projects, working together with actors from political and socio‑cultural education.
Our programme Everyday Spaces is entering its next round. It is aimed at operators of everyday and leisure spaces, socio‑cultural centres and initiatives, as well as political educators. They can apply as a trio under our current call for proposals, submitting joint projects that make democracy tangible in everyday life. The application deadline is 17 May 2026. Applications are handled by our partner organisation, the Association for Socio‑Culture (Bundesverband Soziokultur).
An everyday space might be a hair salon, a community garden or a clothes donation centre. “What we need is this kind of mosaic: as many people involved as possible, in as many places as possible – and ideally for the long term. When people get involved, they can experience that their voice counts, that their opinions are heard, and that we all have room to shape things,” says Antje Scheidler, Head of our Democracy team. This is exactly what has been happening at the ten Everyday Spaces we funded across Germany from 2024 to 2025. We introduce three of them here.
Garden Café in Neuruppin: Democracy Between Flower Beds and Bees
A converted construction trailer, a few tables in the greenery, coffee and cake – it did not take much to create a new space for exchange in the Brandenburg town of Neuruppin. With the project Garden Café: Shall We Talk?, an existing community garden became a meeting place for people who rarely interact with one another. “When we look over the garden fence, we see people who – just like us – simply want a good life,” says project coordinator Katharina Herold, describing the project’s approach.
Every Friday, the café opens its doors – or rather, its garden gate. Neighbours of all generations come together to talk about what matters to them: politically, socially, or on a very personal level. The focus is not on ready‑made solutions, but first and foremost on listening, understanding and shaping things together. Over time, the conversations have led to concrete outcomes: visitors to the Garden Café launched a joint photography project and developed ideas for the city’s participatory budget that could improve life in the neighbourhood. In this way, new links to local politics and municipal administration have also emerged.
‘Heart to Heart’ in Netphen: How Conversations at the Hairdresser’s Revitalise a Village
Scenes from the village of Netphen, where the ‘Heart to Heart’ project is strengthening everyday community life.
At the Hair by Grazia salon in Netphen-Deuz, haircuts are no longer the only thing on offer. Here, hairdressers initiate conversations – about village life, social cohesion and what is missing. These themes are taken up by the project Heart to Heart and turned into impulses for greater togetherness and democracy in everyday life. The project is run by the cultural centre Qulturwerkstatt e.V. and the Institute for Resistance in Post‑Fordism.
Suddenly, 500 handwritten compliments on colourful postcards begin appearing throughout the village: on park benches, under windscreen wipers, in shops. “Nice to have you here.” “Thank you for smiling today.” The messages have an impact. “Things like this change the atmosphere in a village,” says Eva‑Nadine Wunderlich from Qulturwerkstatt.
Posters in shop windows, heart‑shaped balloons and a “wish mailbox” also send visible signals – friendly, inviting and connecting. The conversations that start in the hair salon soon spark a desire for new spaces to meet. The response is Qafé Herzlich, a monthly gathering that has since become a meeting point for people who had not seen one another for a long time – including members of the Deuz Network, which previously supported refugees. And the project continues to grow: together, residents of Netphen now plan to redesign a small wooden hut in a supermarket car park as a place for exchange and a symbol of diversity.
“Heart to Heart is meant to be the minimum: a bit of togetherness, a bit of warmth,” says Eva‑Nadine Wunderlich. From that minimum, something far greater has emerged – a movement that shows just how much democracy can be found in everyday life, between combs, coffee and compliments.
‘Clothes Make People’ in Königstein: How a Clothing Centre Becomes a Space for New Ideas
At the clothing exchange in Königstein, a community has emerged that uses the space in completely new ways.
The project Clothes Make People in the Saxon town of Königstein shows what can happen when participation is not only allowed, but actively encouraged. People from all walks of life have long come together at the Diakonie clothing centre. Building on this, the organisation weltbewusst e.V., together with Aktion Zivilcourage, has created a new form of community.
Over time, a community has emerged that has initiated its own activities: a sewing course that gives old patterns a new lease of life; a painting course open to all; or a “future workshop” for senior citizens. Clothes Make People throws its doors wide open, inviting people to bring in their own ideas – and to turn them into reality. This has deepened the exchange among participants. As a result, the clothing centre is now a place where not only clothes are exchanged, but perspectives as well.
