déi aner: alternative webzine in Luxembourg
culture spiral, local spiral
by Natalia Dembowska & Gabrielle Antar
Who’s behind déi aner?
déi aner was first founded by two at the time journalists, Andréa Oldereide and Gabrielle Antar, however due to toxic work place culture Andrea ended up leaving Luxembourg which is why Gabrielle remained the only person in charge of keeping up the platform. Now after sometime of reflection on what déi aner should be, Gabrielle decided to launch an open call to create a team and hopefully one day build a strong community around déi aner's values. We are now in the process of testing the waters as a team and are very excited to share our new updates very soon.
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When did it start and why?
It was launched on April 20th 2023 by Andrea and Gabrielle out of a need to create soemthing new in Luxembourg. We wanted to create a media where we were in charge of which stories to share because unfortunately the media landscape here is dominated by a mainteam neoliberal mindset. And, it is crucial for there to be alternatives present to counter this status quo. In addition, we were craving a platform where we were interested in what was written instead of another corporate article that never depicts the stories of the most marginalized. It is important for us to question who is in charge of the media here in Luxembourg and very quickly we can see that there is a complete lack of diversity in the people writing stories but also on the stories that are being reported on.
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How has it been since the beginning, what changed?
A lot has happened since the beginning, but I don't think anything changed. I think déi aner’s concept has evolved into what it was always supposed to be, we just maybe didn't have that whole perspective at the beginning but more of a feeling of what it should be. And, I don't think that has changed. I also think that people like us have gravitated towards our platfrom, people from more radical, alternative and queer communities, the exact kinds of people that do not feel heard or represented. So, it has been a pleasure to be an alternative platform where people feel like our principles and stories speak to them.
How does it place in Luxembourg where there’s such a lack of independent media and not many English speaking outlets?
I don't think it can be placed. I think what we are doing is creating something completely different, something that has not really existed in the past, something for our generation and the way we utilize social media to inform ourselves today. One of the reason why Luxembourg is so crucial in the development of déi aner is exactly in the name of our platform: "the other". We are trying to create something for the others who do not have a voice YET. But, things are cooking I can tell you that and I am not only speaking about déi aner, but I am speaking about whole communities of people who are craving a reason to stay. And, déi aner, is just one example of creating a community, online or in person, that does not accept the very exclusionary original vibe of Luxembourg. We have no spaces for our kinds of people and so we have to create our own even if it starts with an Instagram account.
Luxembourg with now nearly half of the population being foreigners. The english language is the future of this country. And, that is just a fact. When we have such a diverse number of people present who are very actively contributing to the prosperous Luxembourgish economy, I do think that the bear minimum is that we create platforms and events that can be accessible language wise to all these different communities of people. Our younger generations have already caught up with this clear evolution of the use of language in Luxembourg.
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Upcoming events?
Today (23/4) marks our second anniversary! Come celebrate with us at Mudam and join our zine-making workshop From Web to Page. Zines are a powerful tool of resistance and liberation, they offer a way for communities to come together and create alternative futures where everyone is heard (especially in times of censorship and exclusion). During the event we will collage with upcycled paper, illustrate, and write (and whatever else you can think of) in order to create our own personalised zines. With the four current exhibitions at Mudam, we will reflect on themes of time, migration, cultural heritage, and connection with nature.
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Another upcoming event we co-organised with Megaphone is on April 30, and it’s called TAKE BACK THE NIGHT! For FLINTA* people, by FLINTA* people, this demonstration was created for us to march as we reclaim our space and unite to stand up for our rights, our empowerement, our resistance. Happening on Walpurgis Night when all the witches gather to cast spells and execute rituals, we too gather to let our solidarity turn every dark little alley into a place of strength. The demonstration is created as a response to the dangers we face at night: sexism, harassment, sexual and gender-based violence. It’s an act of collective resistance an an effort to create safer spaces in hours that can be most compromising and dangerous.
We will gather at 7 PM at Kinnekswiss and march through the city as the sun sets. We will end with a vigil at Casino Luxembourg, where we will honor and mourn the FLINTA* people harmed or lost to the heteropatriarchal society as we reaffirm our strength and resilience.
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illustration by @gude_laune
Let’s raise our voices, reclaim the streets, and make our presence undeniable. Claim our bodies, claim our rights, take a stance, take back the night!
déi aner was first founded by two at the time journalists, Andréa Oldereide and Gabrielle Antar, however due to toxic work place culture Andrea ended up leaving Luxembourg which is why Gabrielle remained the only person in charge of keeping up the platform. Now after sometime of reflection on what déi aner should be, Gabrielle decided to launch an open call to create a team and hopefully one day build a strong community around déi aner's values. We are now in the process of testing the waters as a team and are very excited to share our new updates very soon.
When did it start and why?
It was launched on April 20th 2023 by Andrea and Gabrielle out of a need to create soemthing new in Luxembourg. We wanted to create a media where we were in charge of which stories to share because unfortunately the media landscape here is dominated by a mainteam neoliberal mindset. And, it is crucial for there to be alternatives present to counter this status quo. In addition, we were craving a platform where we were interested in what was written instead of another corporate article that never depicts the stories of the most marginalized. It is important for us to question who is in charge of the media here in Luxembourg and very quickly we can see that there is a complete lack of diversity in the people writing stories but also on the stories that are being reported on.
How has it been since the beginning, what changed?
A lot has happened since the beginning, but I don't think anything changed. I think déi aner’s concept has evolved into what it was always supposed to be, we just maybe didn't have that whole perspective at the beginning but more of a feeling of what it should be. And, I don't think that has changed. I also think that people like us have gravitated towards our platfrom, people from more radical, alternative and queer communities, the exact kinds of people that do not feel heard or represented. So, it has been a pleasure to be an alternative platform where people feel like our principles and stories speak to them.
How does it place in Luxembourg where there’s such a lack of independent media and not many English speaking outlets?
I don't think it can be placed. I think what we are doing is creating something completely different, something that has not really existed in the past, something for our generation and the way we utilize social media to inform ourselves today. One of the reason why Luxembourg is so crucial in the development of déi aner is exactly in the name of our platform: "the other". We are trying to create something for the others who do not have a voice YET. But, things are cooking I can tell you that and I am not only speaking about déi aner, but I am speaking about whole communities of people who are craving a reason to stay. And, déi aner, is just one example of creating a community, online or in person, that does not accept the very exclusionary original vibe of Luxembourg. We have no spaces for our kinds of people and so we have to create our own even if it starts with an Instagram account.
Luxembourg with now nearly half of the population being foreigners. The english language is the future of this country. And, that is just a fact. When we have such a diverse number of people present who are very actively contributing to the prosperous Luxembourgish economy, I do think that the bear minimum is that we create platforms and events that can be accessible language wise to all these different communities of people. Our younger generations have already caught up with this clear evolution of the use of language in Luxembourg.
Upcoming events?
Today (23/4) marks our second anniversary! Come celebrate with us at Mudam and join our zine-making workshop From Web to Page. Zines are a powerful tool of resistance and liberation, they offer a way for communities to come together and create alternative futures where everyone is heard (especially in times of censorship and exclusion). During the event we will collage with upcycled paper, illustrate, and write (and whatever else you can think of) in order to create our own personalised zines. With the four current exhibitions at Mudam, we will reflect on themes of time, migration, cultural heritage, and connection with nature.
Another upcoming event we co-organised with Megaphone is on April 30, and it’s called TAKE BACK THE NIGHT! For FLINTA* people, by FLINTA* people, this demonstration was created for us to march as we reclaim our space and unite to stand up for our rights, our empowerement, our resistance. Happening on Walpurgis Night when all the witches gather to cast spells and execute rituals, we too gather to let our solidarity turn every dark little alley into a place of strength. The demonstration is created as a response to the dangers we face at night: sexism, harassment, sexual and gender-based violence. It’s an act of collective resistance an an effort to create safer spaces in hours that can be most compromising and dangerous.
We will gather at 7 PM at Kinnekswiss and march through the city as the sun sets. We will end with a vigil at Casino Luxembourg, where we will honor and mourn the FLINTA* people harmed or lost to the heteropatriarchal society as we reaffirm our strength and resilience.
illustration by @gude_laune
Let’s raise our voices, reclaim the streets, and make our presence undeniable. Claim our bodies, claim our rights, take a stance, take back the night!