Quo vadis ars?
The situation in the cultural sector has been
described and discussed in numerous interviews, corona diaries,
comments and reports in the past few weeks. Our annotated
collection
of currently 193 sources
gathers voices from different sectors and media.
This creates a picture of the cultural landscape in crisis,
whose temporal transformation can be explored interactively
via a dedicated
tag cloud.
Frankfurter Buchmesse: Was ist das Buch ohne die Menschen?
Frankfurt Book Fair: What would books be without people?
by Felix Stephan (17 Oct 2020)
Original source: Süddeutsche Zeitung
How do you measure the social value of a book? How do you recognize the importance of the Frankfurt Book Fair? Felix Stephan examines these questions based on the debates triggered by the recent Book Fair. Based on Saša Stanišić critique of the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Peter Handke formulated in occasion of his acceptance speech at the awarding ceremony of the German Book Prize, Stephan shows how debates evolve. Suddenly it was no longer about the text itself, but about the foreign secretary Hans-Dietrich Genscher and the role of the Germans in the K osovo war. Such debates are important because they determine the social climate and encourage critical thinking. The starting point is the written text, but it needs the public forum of the Book Fair to unfold its potential.
Such debates cannot arise in the medial silence of the digital book fair. Nevertheless: the book as a commodity is attractive. Even though the Fair is largely taking place online this year, the publishers are not doing badly. The pandemic tempts people to read. In the area of children's and youth literature, sales figures have even risen by 13 percent compared to the same period last year. The large publishing houses are already starting to think about whether a physical stand at the Book Fair is still worthwhile. Expenditure is high, but it is difficult to quantify the successes. The licensing business does not need the fair. So why not decouple the book industry from the public? The example of America shows how profits fizzle out in a vacuum when the book is seen only as a commodity and even mega-bestsellers like Michel Obama's autobiography no longer trigger discussion. According to Felix Stephan, not only would the book lose its role as a leading medium, but our public sphere would lose an important forum for its culture of debate. Read More Read Less
Such debates cannot arise in the medial silence of the digital book fair. Nevertheless: the book as a commodity is attractive. Even though the Fair is largely taking place online this year, the publishers are not doing badly. The pandemic tempts people to read. In the area of children's and youth literature, sales figures have even risen by 13 percent compared to the same period last year. The large publishing houses are already starting to think about whether a physical stand at the Book Fair is still worthwhile. Expenditure is high, but it is difficult to quantify the successes. The licensing business does not need the fair. So why not decouple the book industry from the public? The example of America shows how profits fizzle out in a vacuum when the book is seen only as a commodity and even mega-bestsellers like Michel Obama's autobiography no longer trigger discussion. According to Felix Stephan, not only would the book lose its role as a leading medium, but our public sphere would lose an important forum for its culture of debate. Read More Read Less
tag Buchbranche Buchmesse Leitmedium Debattenkultur Einsparpotential digitale Stille Literature/ Text Bericht
Kleine und mittlere Theater sind existenziell bedroht . Corona-Maßnahmen in NRW
Small and medium-sized theaters are existentially threatened . Corona measures in North Rhine-Westphalia
by Marc Grandmontagne, Marietta Schwarz (15 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur
A decree of the Ministry of Health severely limits the number of participants for events in North Rhine-Westphalia. With immediate effect, only 250 participants or a maximum of 20 percent capacity are permitted. This decree will hit the venues hard at the beginning of the season, as the complete events now have to be rescheduled. Smaller venues, such as the Kommödchen in Düsseldorf, have already announced that they will close again for the time being. The head of the German Stage Association, Marc Grandmontagne, considers the decree to be completely misguided. So far, no infection in a theater is known. All houses have a thoroughly worked out hygiene concept. Due to the modern ventilation technology in the large houses, the danger of infection is minimal. Up to now, under these circumstances it would have been possible in NRW to seat 100 percent of the seats. Since the audience currently still wants a safe distance, 50 percent of the seats were usually occupied. So there is no objective reason for the new decree.
The Ministry of Culture in NRW has not yet issued a statement on the decree. Grandmontagne is calling for better coordination between the players. Since the Ministry of Culture supports the smaller houses in particular, he does not assume that the decree was coordinated in advance.
Grandmontagne is particularly concerned about the signal that the decree sends out to the cultural workers themselves. Tiredness and exhaustion is noticeable in the industry. Not being able to carry out one's own profession normally in the long term has psychological consequences. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that the development of the pandemic is due to our own behavior. Here the cultural industry has been very consistent and responsible so far, and has gained a lot of experience. This whole experience can now serve as a basis for future strategies. Read More Read Less
The Ministry of Culture in NRW has not yet issued a statement on the decree. Grandmontagne is calling for better coordination between the players. Since the Ministry of Culture supports the smaller houses in particular, he does not assume that the decree was coordinated in advance.
Grandmontagne is particularly concerned about the signal that the decree sends out to the cultural workers themselves. Tiredness and exhaustion is noticeable in the industry. Not being able to carry out one's own profession normally in the long term has psychological consequences. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that the development of the pandemic is due to our own behavior. Here the cultural industry has been very consistent and responsible so far, and has gained a lot of experience. This whole experience can now serve as a basis for future strategies. Read More Read Less
tag Theater NRW psychische Belastung Hygieneregeln Gesundheitsministerium Performing Arts/ Cinema Gespräch
Ein Weiter so wird es nach der Pandemie nicht geben . Literaturagentin Ruge zur Frankfurter Buchmesse
There won't be business as usual after the pandemic . Literary agent Ruge at the Frankfurt Book Fair
by Elisabeth Ruge, Christopher Ricke (13 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur
This year, the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest meeting place for the book trade, will be held primarily in digital form due to the pandemic. Instead of wandering through the corridors of the exhibition halls and meeting colleagues and contract partners, publisher and cultural agent Elisabeth Runge is sitting in front of the screen this year. Here she follows events and conducts negotiations for her authors. She only uses the online platform set up by the Book Fair for the allocation of film rights. All other meetings were organized independently. In an interview with De utschlandfunk Kultur, Runge reports on her impressions of this year's book fair. She criticizes the sterile atmosphere at the German Book Prize awards ceremony, where only the shortlisted nominees were present with two guests each. Otherwise, she praises those responsible for organizing the fair, which has largely shifted to the digital domain. At the same time, she warns that Messe Frankfurt must consider a new concept for the industry meeting in the coming years. For the large publishing houses and corporations in particular, the cancellation of the Book Fair also resulted in huge savings. They will show little interest in returning to the previous form of the fair after the end of the pandemic. There must therefore be an offer here that makes the Fair attractive again for all involved parties.
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tag Buchmesse Buchpreis Rechtehandel Digitalisierung Elisabeth Ruge Streaming virtuelle Präsenz Literature/ Text Interview
Ein Lebenszeichen aus der Szene, die am Abgrund tanzt . »Tag der Clubkultur« am 3. Oktober
A sign of life from the scene dancing to the precipice . "Day of Club Culture" on 3 October
by Jakob Bauer (02 Oct 2020)
Original source: rbb24
On October 3, the "Day of Club Culture" is celebrated in Berlin. In times of Corona there is no dancing to live music in a confined space, but the clubs have come up with creative concepts to draw attention to their situation. For example, there are two live concerts for 16 visitors at the Schokoladen. The tickets were raffled off on Facebook, the visitors sit on bar stools at bar tables to control the distances. A dinner with music accompaniment awaits the guests at the Ritter Butzke. At all events, consistent attention is paid to the adherence to hygiene conc epts. In this way, the club committee together with Berlin's Senator for Culture Klaus Lederer wants to set an example: Currently, the impression is often created that the danger of infection is particularly high in clubs - without being able to prove it. Since the clubs also have hygiene concepts in place, the organizers are convinced that the risk of infection is much higher at parties in the park than in their rooms. And so the "Day of Club Culture" is a sign of life for an industry that is one of the big losers of the Corona crisis. In Berlin, Klaus Lederer is fighting for their survival; in other cities, clubs receive less support.
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tag Clubszene Hygienekonzepte Klaus Lederer Music Bericht
Geld allein reicht nicht . Coronafolgen im ärmsten Bundesland
Money alone is not enough . Corona effects in the poorest federal state
by Felicitas Boeselager (02 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk
An independent theater group, two art students and a small club were interviewed by Felicitas Boeselager for her feature about the independent scene during the Corona crisis in Bremen. What all actors are sharing is the joy of being able to offer events again. The audience at all events was also enthusiastic and grateful to finally be able to experience culture again. The independent scene in Bremen is closely connected by the pandemic, mutual support and exchange about new formats is highly appreciated by those affected. Nevertheless, all of the actors are currently una ble to make ends meet without public funding for culture.
Stephan Behrmann, freelance actor and dramaturge as well as spokesman for the »Alliance of Liberal Arts«, emphasizes that cultural funding in Bremen has been good for both the solo self-employed and the independent scene. However, he complains that the aid did not work so well in all federal states. He considers current scholarship programs that finance the artists' work on projects in an open-ended way to be good. He also rates the support provided by the "Neustart Kultur" program positively - even if one billion does not really seem sufficient considering the size of the industry. Whether the money actually helps the individual artists cannot be predicted at the moment - especially since the administrative effort involved in awarding grants is quite high. How many »silent deaths«, i.e. artists who have looked for a job in another branch, are to be registered, is currently not yet foreseeable. The situation will not improve in the next few years either. Since the municipalities are very much shaken, they cannot afford to support culture. Behrmann therefore considers it an inevitable consequence that the federal government will help out.
Read More Read Lesstag Bremen Kultursommer Bremen Freie Szene Clubszene Kulturförderung Neustart Kultur stiller Tod Insolvenz All sections Feature und Interview
Debatte um Künstler in Not . Corona-Soforthilfe gefloppt
Debate about artists in need . Corona emergency aid flopped
by Peter Jungblut (28 Sep 2020)
Original source: BR24
Another round of discussions on the state of culture: in Munich's Volkstheater, the Bavarian Minister of State for Science and Art Bernd Sibler had to answer questions from cultural workers. The displeasure is great. In Bavaria, the number of allowed visitors is still determined not by the size of the event rooms but by the size of the events. Only three houses are allowed to accommodate 500 spectators in the course of a model experiment. The fear among culture enthusiasts is still great, so that even these places are not sold out.
Just as unsuccessful as the pilot project was the emergency aid program for solo self-employed persons, which expired at the end of the most recent quarter. Instead of the expected 60,000 applications, the Free State received only 10,000, of which 8,000 were approved. The reasons for this are manifold. Some have already received money from other funding sources or applied for Hartz IV, while others are keeping their heads above water with other jobs if they are not already trying their luck in another profession. In the cultural sector, the fear of the "point of no return" is now spreading. What if next year too many cultural workers have already reoriented themselves and a return to the situation before the lockdown will no longer be possible? The helplessness is great. Bernd Sibler points to the satisfaction of the Bavarians with the strict corona measures, while Volkmar Halbleib, SPD party member of the state parliament, vehemently attacks his colleague from the CSU party: civilized cultural events are not a source of infection. Everyone is now aware of this. Therefore, something must now finally be done for culture to free the artists from their hopeless situation. Read More Read Less
Just as unsuccessful as the pilot project was the emergency aid program for solo self-employed persons, which expired at the end of the most recent quarter. Instead of the expected 60,000 applications, the Free State received only 10,000, of which 8,000 were approved. The reasons for this are manifold. Some have already received money from other funding sources or applied for Hartz IV, while others are keeping their heads above water with other jobs if they are not already trying their luck in another profession. In the cultural sector, the fear of the "point of no return" is now spreading. What if next year too many cultural workers have already reoriented themselves and a return to the situation before the lockdown will no longer be possible? The helplessness is great. Bernd Sibler points to the satisfaction of the Bavarians with the strict corona measures, while Volkmar Halbleib, SPD party member of the state parliament, vehemently attacks his colleague from the CSU party: civilized cultural events are not a source of infection. Everyone is now aware of this. Therefore, something must now finally be done for culture to free the artists from their hopeless situation. Read More Read Less
tag Soforthilfe Bayern Bernd Sibler Münchner Volkstheater point of no return Sitzplätze All sections Bericht
Sprachmacht und Sachertorte . Österreichische Literatur in der Coronakrise
Power of language and the Sacher cake . Austrain literature during corona crisis
by Irene Binal (25 Sep 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur
In a feature on the current situation of Austrian literature, the topic of Corona, which is currently a major concern for all creative artists, should not be missing, in addition to the great role models, the special features of the publishing landscape and the coffee house culture in Vienna.
The author Michael Stavarič, who accompanies the journalist Irene Binal through Vienna, is particularly affected by the crisis, as his current novel "Fremdes Licht" (Strange Light) was published in spring. About 30 lectures were cancelled, interviews and meetings w ere missed. After four years of work, there is now a lack of income and the author is thinking about whether life as a freelance writer can still afford to live in the next few years.
Despite comparable hardship, many Austrian authors do not feel that state support is adequate. With the project "Work instead of Alms" Marlen Schachinger wanted to set an example in this situation. Through a crowdfunding campaign she has raised about 20,000 €. Most of the money came from readers and is used to pay not only for the anthology itself but above all for the fees of the about 20 authors. Read More Read Less
The author Michael Stavarič, who accompanies the journalist Irene Binal through Vienna, is particularly affected by the crisis, as his current novel "Fremdes Licht" (Strange Light) was published in spring. About 30 lectures were cancelled, interviews and meetings w ere missed. After four years of work, there is now a lack of income and the author is thinking about whether life as a freelance writer can still afford to live in the next few years.
Despite comparable hardship, many Austrian authors do not feel that state support is adequate. With the project "Work instead of Alms" Marlen Schachinger wanted to set an example in this situation. Through a crowdfunding campaign she has raised about 20,000 €. Most of the money came from readers and is used to pay not only for the anthology itself but above all for the fees of the about 20 authors. Read More Read Less
tag Literatur Österreich Arbeit statt Almosen Marlen Schachinger Michael Stavarič Umsatzeinbruch Crowdfunding Literature/ Text Feature
»Viele Kollegen von uns mussten Hartz IV beantragen«
»Many of our colleagues had to apply for Hartz IV social security«
by Wiebke Eymess, Jörg Burger (23 Sep 2020)
Original source: Die Zeit
With 80 performances a year, the cabaret duo "Das Geld liegt auf der Fensterbank, Marie", consisting of Wiebke Eymess and Friedolin Müller in the time before Corona, were able to finance themselves well. Together with their two children, the couple lives in the countryside and therefore has very reduced running expenses. Nevertheless the Corona crisis was a shock. As the couple was fully booked for two years in advance, Wiebke Eymess reacted to the cancellations with a panic attack in March. It took time for her to adjust to the new situation. She describe d her feelings and fears in a blog. The fact that the German radio station SWR3 now prints them twice a week as a column helps the family make ends meet. In addition, donations from loyal fans and craftsmanship help them keep their heads above water. The state support they received from the emergency aid programs was minimal. Even if the public has the impression that a lot is being done for culture, hardly anything of it is trickling down to the people affected. Although the ban on employment is being eased somewhat at the moment, and the first theaters and event venues have reopened, one can speak of it more as a hobby than as a job, due to the minimal fees involved. Also the incautiousness of politicians in their choice of language can have devastating consequences. Health Minister Jens Spahn warned of events recently, but actually meant family celebrations. The consequence: ticket sales for cultural events collapsed abruptly.
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tag Kabarett Berufsverbot Kulturförderung Soforthilfe Panikattacke Performing Arts/ Cinema Interview
»Es muss etwas passieren. Sonst gehen alle pleite« . Live-Konzerte
»Something has to happen. Otherwise everyone goes bankrupt« . Live-concerts
by Daniel Gerhardt (21 Sep 2020)
Original source: Die Zeit
While alternative concepts have been developed for other event formats in recent months, the organizers of pop shows are hoping for 2021. The event calendar is already overflowing - but as long as it is not clear whether major events will be feasible again, the organizers are hardly selling any tickets. One problem that the organizers of pop events have had to contend with in recent months has been the ignorance of politicians. Not only the high turnover of the industry, but also its everyday life was completely unfamiliar to many politicians. The fact that support is ne eded here to protect companies from insolvency during the ban on employment has only slowly reached the decision-makers. The support program Neustart Kultur now provides support for music clubs and concert venues, as well as for other members of the event industry, but it seems that the great club and organizer death can hardly be stopped. The consequence? A few large companies will survive the crisis and then events will be streamlined according to a concept. The fun, members of the industry fear, will fall by the wayside, unusual formats will no longer have a chance.
Meanwhile, the industry alliance #AlarmstufeRot draws attention to the situation of the organizers and formulates demands. At a demonstration on September 9th, attention was drawn to the situation of the industry. Many people symbolically put off their shirts in front of the Reichstag - yet here, too, the organizers were polarized: "Every action with which it seeks help could at the same time contribute to prolonging the pandemic."
Read More Read Lesstag Popkonzerte Konzertveranstalter Streaming #AlarmstufeRot Neustart Kultur Music Bericht
»Die Leute haben eine Sehnsucht in die Theater zurückzukehren« . Kultur in Bayern
»People have a longing to return to the theater« . culture in Bavaria
by Sara Maria Behbehani (13 Sep 2020)
Original source: Süddeutsche Zeitung
At the beginning of the new season, Sara Maria Behbehani explores at theaters in Bavaria how theater professionals are facing the opening of their houses and how the corona rules are perceived in everyday life. The joy of regaining contact with the audience and the intensive work on corona-compliant themes is common to all the theaters.
The Theater an der Rott has already hosted successful open-air events in the summer. For the indoor events, the program was completely rewritten once again - not only to implement the corona rules and incorporate them conceptually into the plays, but also to do justice to the loss of income.
At the Landestheater Niederbayern, the journalist talks to the freelance director Sarah Kohrs. She is happy that she has a new engagement and tries to bring her new play on stage as corona-conform as possible.
The lockdown at the Junge Theater Regensburg was extremely productive. Maria-Elena Hackbarth and her team tried to keep in touch with the young audience with various offers. Also the implementation of the distance rules is not considered problematic here. Family islands offer a personal atmosphere, which at the same time offers protection from infection. The lockdown will probably also play a role thematically, since the theater is starting the new season with Kafka's "Metamorphosis".
At Ingolstadt City Theater, Andrea Frohn is not allowed to open the season with a cabaret evening as planned. Since she is pregnant, she is not allowed to perform. Nevertheless, Frohn is looking forward to the new season, as the audience is incredibly grateful that it is now starting again. Read More Read Less
The Theater an der Rott has already hosted successful open-air events in the summer. For the indoor events, the program was completely rewritten once again - not only to implement the corona rules and incorporate them conceptually into the plays, but also to do justice to the loss of income.
At the Landestheater Niederbayern, the journalist talks to the freelance director Sarah Kohrs. She is happy that she has a new engagement and tries to bring her new play on stage as corona-conform as possible.
The lockdown at the Junge Theater Regensburg was extremely productive. Maria-Elena Hackbarth and her team tried to keep in touch with the young audience with various offers. Also the implementation of the distance rules is not considered problematic here. Family islands offer a personal atmosphere, which at the same time offers protection from infection. The lockdown will probably also play a role thematically, since the theater is starting the new season with Kafka's "Metamorphosis".
At Ingolstadt City Theater, Andrea Frohn is not allowed to open the season with a cabaret evening as planned. Since she is pregnant, she is not allowed to perform. Nevertheless, Frohn is looking forward to the new season, as the audience is incredibly grateful that it is now starting again. Read More Read Less
