The Cultural Advisory Board met again on August 19. Over the parliamentary summer break, various working groups of the committee had discussed topics in greater depth, which were now discussed in plenary.

First and foremost, a letter was adopted for consultation on the upcoming 2026 cultural budget, which is addressed to the parliamentary groups in the town hall. In it, the Advisory Board calls for culture to be given a much stronger role than the draft budget that has been available since July. "The situation is undoubtedly difficult. But culture must not be left behind," says Dr. Helmut Müller, Chairman of the Cultural Advisory Board. "Especially in difficult times, in which many traditional certainties have been lost, culture should be part of the solution and not the problem." The letter will be sent out in the coming days in advance of the parliamentary group's internal budget meetings and will then be published in detail. As there are still many unanswered questions following the presentation of the draft budget, the Cultural Advisory Board will probably continue to take part in the debate.

In addition, following a presentation by the Elections Department, a recommendation was made to the municipal council to set up an online election procedure for the upcoming Cultural Advisory Board elections. The submission of a corresponding amendment to the cultural advisory board regulations is to be submitted to the next session of the city council. "It's always a good idea to try out something new that has already proved successful elsewhere," says Dorothée Rhiemeier, Deputy Chair of the Advisory Board. "If we can save paper with an online procedure and the processes in the background become simpler, there is little to be said against it."

The "Infopoints" model project, which was originally initiated by the Cultural Advisory Board, has been very well received. Rhiemeier and Müller both welcome the fact that the project is on the home straight and will be presented in the next few days.

The Cultural Advisory Board will next meet on October 28. The location is yet to be announced.