"Too bad, it's over already?" asked 12-year-old Khaleb as the TUD's hands-on festival came to an end in the late afternoon of June 15. A lively exchange at eye level and fun with many hands-on activities, music, a cheerful atmosphere and one or two controversial discussions – that was the hands-on festival that the TUD organized together with Zuhause in Prohlis e. V. and Quartiersmanagement Prohlis as part of the Science Year 2024 - Freedom on 15 June in Dresden's Prohlis district.

A colourful hands-on programme, organized by the Directorate University Culture in cooperation with various Dresden stakeholders in the field of democracy promotion, invited around 500 visitors to discuss issues of coexistence. There was something for everyone: visitors were able to test their knowledge of politics in a quiz; solidarity was conveyed in a playful way with basketball; crafts and painting focused on the topics of diversity and equality and the diversity wheel of fortune revolved around inclusion, family friendliness and gender equality.

Music contributed to the relaxed and cheerful atmosphere. The jazz combo of the TUD Dresden Big Band, the transcultural Paradies Orchestra of the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Dresden and the Banda Comunale delighted the audience and brought music from all over the world to the Prohliszentrum.

A highlight of the festival was the panel discussion with Julian Janssen aka "Checker Julian" from ARD/BR children's television. Together with Julian, children and scientists discussed many facets of the topic of freedom – for example, how the concept of freedom could be explained to aliens or why children are free even if their parents decide when they have to go to bed.

This is the review in pictures (more pictures to follow):

Details of the program at https://tu-dresden.de/mitmachfest.