Our story: Freeartus and Lawrence

Our Story: FREEARTUS and LAWRENCE.
In 2014, the so-called wave of refugees from war zones in the Middle East approached Europe. Almost by chance, future ONE SKY academy founder Frank Alva Buecheler began volunteering for a temporary home for refugees in his Berlin Mitte neighborhood. He soon became known for his cultural activities, especially concerts and exhibitions.

In 2015 Buecheler - theater director, cultural entrepreneur, university lecturer - was invited on his first trips to the Middle East. They changed his perspective and his life. In the same year, together with a dozen colleagues, he founded the nonprofit organization FREEARTUS - artists and refugees united for freedom. (www.freeartus.org)

In this way, in the following years, countless newcomers from the creative sectors could be supported in their new start-up and integration process. One project in Egypt failed due to the political situation, while FREEARTUS was successful in Lebanon and Syria with cultural activities and exchange projects. Particularly sustainable is the long-standing collaboration with the ALBA Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts in Beirut; Numerous students from Europe and the Middle East repeatedly carry out exemplary social design tasks together with refugee camp residents.

To give the idea of cultural exchange another platform, Buecheler founded in summer 2017 the cultural forum LAWRENCE in Berlin Mitte and the center of the government quarter together with Bachar Hassoun, now also a shareholder and managing director of FREEARTUS. The combination of gallery, event space, store and large oriental restaurant creates permanent jobs and quickly establishes itself as a meeting place for the most diverse cultural scenes and top German and international politicians. In 2019, LAWRENCE received the #farbenbeken Jury Prize from the Berlin Senate and in 2020 the German Integration Prize in the category Overcoming Borders. (www.lawrence.berlin)