The crises show that a transformation of society is needed to overcome them - that it is necessary to leave well-trodden paths and engage in something new, to accept challenges and to help shape society and the environment.

The most expressive means of changing and developing societies has been and still is art - and specifically art that goes beyond mere entertainment to offer the space to open the senses and stimulate creative thinking. As justified and necessary as the distraction from everyday life generated by that pure entertainment is without question , it remains fleeting in its essence. What we need - especially in "bad" times - is creative and inspiring music. Repetition of the familiar offers little breeding ground for new perspectives and the creativity we so desperately need.

The brilliant, radiant premiere of our festival in crisis-ridden Gelsenkirchen was enthusiastically received by local and out-of-town audiences as well as the local, national and international press.

In 2023, too, the shared concert experience at NEW COLOURS in and around Gelsenkirchen should inspire.

We are happy to take on the challenge of continuing at such a level: In the second edition, we are now making an entire region resound with a total of 16 concerts.

Well-known and unknown artists from 16 nations present a diverse program, full of creativity, inspiration and emotion. Our heart beats not only for the music, but also for the region in which we live and work. The venues of our festival open up fascinating architectural and historical contexts. In doing so, we are once again directing our attention to no less than eleven identity-forming places that shine in a different light with new sounds. Two of them in Dorsten and Marl.