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.
»Diese Selbstverständlichkeit ist passé!« . Neustart des Musiklebens
»This matter of course is passé!« . Restart of the musical life
by Marie König, Frauke Roth (15 Feb 2021)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk
Although an opening prospect is not yet in sight, but subscribers are already waiting impatiently for the start of concerts at the Dresden Philharmonic. How the upcoming concerts might look, however, is still unclear. At the moment, no tickets are being sold, as the experience of last year has created a great deal of uncertainty for everyone involved. Nevertheless, the artistic director of the Dresden Philharmonic, Marie König, is looking positively into the future. Not only does her house have an excellent ventilation system, but last fall also showed that visitors are taking advantage of the event dates on offer. If a checkerboard pattern could be offered to the audience, then the sense of community that is created at a concert could also be re-established.
As a long-term consequence for the concert business, she sees that the belief in planning security - both in terms of performances and for tours - has been permanently shaken. The long planning cycles that existed before the crisis will no longer exist after the crisis. There will also be increased attention to the fact that events where many people come together in small spaces will not take place for a while. In Dresden, for example, the concert introduction will no longer be offered as a face-to-face event, but as a podcast. Read More Read Less
As a long-term consequence for the concert business, she sees that the belief in planning security - both in terms of performances and for tours - has been permanently shaken. The long planning cycles that existed before the crisis will no longer exist after the crisis. There will also be increased attention to the fact that events where many people come together in small spaces will not take place for a while. In Dresden, for example, the concert introduction will no longer be offered as a face-to-face event, but as a podcast. Read More Read Less
tag Lockdown Öffnung Programmplanung Schachbrettmuster Dresdner Philharmonie gemeinschaftliches Erlebnis Music Interview
»Bei Öffnungen muss die Kultur dabei sein«
»Easings need to include culture«
by Carsten Brosda, Daniel Kaiser (11 Feb 2021)
Original source: NDR Kultur
The politicians' promise to present a step-by-step plan for a way out of the lockdown in mid-February was not fulfilled. Some ministers of culture have submitted a proposal that was not taken into account in the federal and state consultations. The question of how efficient the lockdown and the measures associated with it are is being raised more and more loudly. In an interview with NDR, Hamburg's Senator for Culture calls for a little patience. He hopes that the proposed gradual regulation for the opening of cultural institutions will also be implemented in par allel with retail and restaurants, also because of the excellent hygiene concepts in the institutions, so that culture is not disadvantaged as it was last autumn. In this context, he can hardly understand why the opening of hairdressing salons is currently being given priority. At the same time, he is concerned about the long-term consequences for cultural workers of the extension of the lockdown. At least in Hamburg, he does not see the financing of cultural institutions in jeopardy for the next two years. However, there will be no return to a cultural landscape like before the crisis, if only because the ranks of the players are thinning out.
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tag Lockdown Öffnung Kulturfinanzierung Friseursalons stiller Tod Perspektive All sections Interview
Diese Normalität darf nicht zurückkehren . Am Sinn für tatsächliche Relevanz herrscht im Kulturbetrieb erschreckender Mangel
This normality must not return . There is a frightening lack of a sense of actual relevance in the culture industry
by Peter Grabowski (01 Feb 2021)
Original source: Politik & Kultur
With a persistently high incidence value, Yilmaz Dziewior, the director of the Museum Ludwig, expressed the assumption in a mid-January interview on Deutschlandfunk that the museums will reopen in mid-February. In his commentary, Peter Grabowski takes this statement as an opportunity to reflect on the overconfidence of cultural workers in Germany. Democracy is not in danger just because the public is not allowed into museums and theatres. These are leisure facilities. Central social issues have long since ceased to be negotiated in a leading role in cultural institutions . Social media and the mass media play a much more central role in discourse here. Therefore, Grabowski calls on cultural practitioners to leave their ivory tower, acknowledge the reality of the pandemic and think about how cultural institutions can regain more relevance in society.
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tag Kulturszene Relevanz Selbstüberschätzung Yilmaz Dziewior Quo vadis ars Lockdown All sections Kommentar
Zauber der lebenden Bilder . 125 Jahre Kino
The magic of tableaux vivants
by Andreas Busche (28 Dec 2020)
Original source: Tagesspiegel
To mark the anniversary of the first cinema showing on 28 December 1895, cinemas will be closed in almost all countries this year. The industry is therefore not in the mood to celebrate. In the Tagesspiegel, Andreas Busche reflects on the current situation of the industry on the occasion of the anniversary.
A premiere took place at Christmas: Warner and Disney released films without a theatrical release for the first time. The era of the blockbuster is thus coming to an end. Whether the new James Bond will draw audiences to the cinema next year remains open to que stion. In 2020, the combination of streaming services and the pandemic has taken an extreme toll on the industry. Currently, film theatres are only getting through the crisis with state support. This is not only because the film theatre has lost the aura that surrounded it in the early 20th century. At present, instead of euphoria, there is often a sense of mistrust towards the people sitting in the cinema with them. However - as Busche reminds us - cinema has always depended on a mixed calculation. For example, the factory owner Stollwerk realised early on that selling chocolate in the cinema hall would boost business. Today, cinema operators have to offer chocolate, nachos and cola to survive because ticket sales alone do not pay off.
The crisis of the cinema is proclaimed at regular intervals. Busche is therefore sure that it will survive this crisis, too - but he is not one of the optimists who hope that the pandemic could be a corrective for undesirable developments of past decades. Read More Read Less
A premiere took place at Christmas: Warner and Disney released films without a theatrical release for the first time. The era of the blockbuster is thus coming to an end. Whether the new James Bond will draw audiences to the cinema next year remains open to que stion. In 2020, the combination of streaming services and the pandemic has taken an extreme toll on the industry. Currently, film theatres are only getting through the crisis with state support. This is not only because the film theatre has lost the aura that surrounded it in the early 20th century. At present, instead of euphoria, there is often a sense of mistrust towards the people sitting in the cinema with them. However - as Busche reminds us - cinema has always depended on a mixed calculation. For example, the factory owner Stollwerk realised early on that selling chocolate in the cinema hall would boost business. Today, cinema operators have to offer chocolate, nachos and cola to survive because ticket sales alone do not pay off.
The crisis of the cinema is proclaimed at regular intervals. Busche is therefore sure that it will survive this crisis, too - but he is not one of the optimists who hope that the pandemic could be a corrective for undesirable developments of past decades. Read More Read Less
tag Kino Streaming Blockbuster Misstrauen Krise als Chance Performing Arts/ Cinema Bericht
Schauspielhaus-Intendant Stemann: «Uns ist die Fähigkeit abhandengekommen, mit anderen Menschen mitzufühlen»
by Julia Stephan, Nicolas Stemann (22 Dec 2020)
Original source: Tagblatt
Working creatively and productively with the resistances that the Corona crisis means for theater professionals, that is the trademark of Nicolas Stemann, the co-director of the Schauspielhaus Zürich. Already last spring, he accompanied life during the pandemic critically and humorously at the same time with columns for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung and the 'Corona Passion Plays'. In his home office he wrote songs for the Passion Plays, as it was not possible for him to discuss developments during the suspended rehearsals. Nevertheless, he also sees the nega tive sides of the pandemic. Workflows have to be rethought, premieres postponed, casts minimized, schedules rescheduled - of course, this also means a great burden. On the one hand, this increases the workload for many, and on the other hand, it is extremely stressful, especially for actors, if they cannot rehearse with a goal in mind. This is one of the reasons why the Schauspielhaus Zurich very successfully offers a live-streamed performance once a week.
It is important for Stemann to emphasize that the theaters consider the closure of the houses to be an important contribution to the fight against the pandemic. His only concern is that it may have too little impact by placing too few restrictions in other areas. With regard to the concerns and problems of people during the pandemic, he considers art and culture to be extremely important in order to negotiate the open questions together in a discussion space and to find an outlet for emotions. The fact that this is not available at the moment, but that instead emotions such as hatred and incomprehension are acted out in social networks, is for him one of the major problems of the theater closures. Read More Read Less
It is important for Stemann to emphasize that the theaters consider the closure of the houses to be an important contribution to the fight against the pandemic. His only concern is that it may have too little impact by placing too few restrictions in other areas. With regard to the concerns and problems of people during the pandemic, he considers art and culture to be extremely important in order to negotiate the open questions together in a discussion space and to find an outlet for emotions. The fact that this is not available at the moment, but that instead emotions such as hatred and incomprehension are acted out in social networks, is for him one of the major problems of the theater closures. Read More Read Less
tag Theater Tod Streaming Arbeitsalltag psychische Belastung Quo vadis ars Performing Arts/ Cinema Interview
Die Seele leidet - Weihnachtszeit ohne Kulturveranstaltungen
The soul suffers - Christmas time without cultural events
by Maria Ossowski (26 Nov 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk
The extension of the Lockdown light into December means renunciation for many people. By this, journalist Maria Ossowski does not primarily mean the cultural workers and restaurateurs, who are not allowed to offer their services in the last month of the year either. She is referring to the approximately nine million museum visitors or one and a half million people who attend an opera, theater, concert or reading in Germany each month - which they are currently not allowed to do, despite excellently prepared hygiene concerts. The cultural workers themselves - according to the subtext of the admonition of the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Culture Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen not to demand a special treatment again - are not entitled to defend themselves against the recent professional ban. After all, the November subsidies will be paid out at some point.
Ossowski proves that this argumentation is wrong. It is not a question of prohibition to work, nor is it a question of how Christmas can be celebrated in the family circle. Because this argumentation overlooks the fact that Christmas does not mean pure happiness for everyone. People who have to cope with family losses or separations, who live alone or are ill, often find the Christmas season a great emotional burden. For these people, culture provides solace in the pre-Christmas period. Many would therefore have done anything to give the pre-Christmas season an inner meaning through cultural events. The mental needs of these humans are put aside in favor of gifts and Christmas goose in the family circle, thereby we should be particularly concerned in the Advent about their well-being.
Read More Read Lesstag Dezember-Lockdown Kulturveranstaltungen Advent Einsamkeit Trost Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen All sections Kommentar
»Wir sollten uns nicht hyperüberschätzen« . Amelie Deuflhard zum Theater-Lockdown
»We should not hyper-overestimate ourselves« . Amelie Deuflhard about the theatre lockdown
by Amelie Deuflhard, Vladimir Balzer (05 Nov 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur
Planning reliability is what cultural institutions need most urgently at the moment. The employees at many institutions continue to work, but the feeling of producing into a void is a great burden for many. Amelie Deuflhard, artistic director of the 'Kampnagel' theatre in Hamburg, does not want to follow the suggestion of the artistic director of the Schaubühne, Thomas Ostermeier. Just in solidarity with the free theaters, the houses must continue to be played in, even if the situation is uncertain. Nevertheless, she would also like planning reliability, bec ause if a closure beyond November was already determined now, then the houses could consider alternative concepts for their spaces and use the closure for conceptual considerations. Although Deuflhard believes that many theaters in Germany are on the right track, she nevertheless warns that the theater in the present time still appeals to the educated middle classes. Developing new concepts here, also leaving the traditional spaces, addressing target groups and working on the diversification of the theater are some of the tasks that could be tackled. She even goes to that lenghts in times of crisis as to suggest other meaningful tasks for the theater staff - reading aloud in nursing homes, helping out at the health department.
Of course, the state-subsidized institutions in the present are much more likely to allow a positive view of the future than privately run institutions and solo self-employed persons. The precarious employments of the freelancers are also on Deuflhard's imaginary to-do list for crisis closure. Here, however, politics would also have to get involved and consider how to provide rescue for this group to help them survive such a crisis. Here, an unconditional basic income or a solidarity fund are just two ways of stabilizing the sector so that it does not collapse again if a new crisis occurs. It should also be borne in mind that bureaucracy can be reduced as much as possible.
Finally, she points out that all international cooperation is currently frozen. This means that not only an important form of cultural exchange is missing, in many countries there is also no support for artists during the crisis. Read More Read Less
Of course, the state-subsidized institutions in the present are much more likely to allow a positive view of the future than privately run institutions and solo self-employed persons. The precarious employments of the freelancers are also on Deuflhard's imaginary to-do list for crisis closure. Here, however, politics would also have to get involved and consider how to provide rescue for this group to help them survive such a crisis. Here, an unconditional basic income or a solidarity fund are just two ways of stabilizing the sector so that it does not collapse again if a new crisis occurs. It should also be borne in mind that bureaucracy can be reduced as much as possible.
Finally, she points out that all international cooperation is currently frozen. This means that not only an important form of cultural exchange is missing, in many countries there is also no support for artists during the crisis. Read More Read Less
tag Theater Planungssicherheit Privilegien Kultur als Chance Grundeinkommen Demokratisierung Solo-Selbständige Performing Arts/ Cinema Gespräch
»Als ob Kultur nur Bespaßung wäre« . Louwrens Langevoort über Corona-Maßnahmen
. Louwrens Langevoort about Corona measures
by Louwrens Langevoort, Carsten Beyer (29 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur
That's the perversion of the whole story. We are not a swimming center. It's not like we can close in one day and on December 1st we open again and the audience is back.
The director of the Cologne Philharmonic has to cancel 30 events for November. Whether and when he will be allowed to reopen his house is still written in the stars. Since concerts require advance notice, he would have to know by now whether he will be allowed to play again on December 1, otherwise it would be impossible to organize a performance. Basically, a certain frustration is exp ressed in the conversation: even though Langevoort, as director of the Philharmonic, must expect the worst, he had hoped that the intensive advertising for the well-designed hygiene concepts in theaters, operas and concert halls, among others by the German Stage Association, would be noticed by politicians. The second lockdown for cultural institutions seems to him to be exaggerated, especially since he has the impression that politics does not do exactly that in those places where it would have to take consistent action. The fact that the Chancellor talks about having to reduce the total mass of encounters because of the incomprehensible chains of infection is completely understandable to him. Nevertheless, the disappointment is great - also about Markus Söder's statement that one does not want to offend anyone who has made an effort. The cultural industry feels that it suffers a snub in the face of current events.
Asked about the promised compensation payments, Langevoort is skeptical. Also in the spring support was promised. These were only implemented very slowly and many companies and solo self-employed persons did not benefit from them. He also points out that artists want to perform and not to become welfare recipients. In addition, the houses also see themselves as cultural institutions with an educational mission. They want to fulfill this mission even in times of pandemic. Read More Read Less
Asked about the promised compensation payments, Langevoort is skeptical. Also in the spring support was promised. These were only implemented very slowly and many companies and solo self-employed persons did not benefit from them. He also points out that artists want to perform and not to become welfare recipients. In addition, the houses also see themselves as cultural institutions with an educational mission. They want to fulfill this mission even in times of pandemic. Read More Read Less
tag Konzerthäuser Philharmonie Köln Soforthilfe November-Lockdown Planungssicherheit Angela Merkel Markus Söder Deutscher Bühnenverein Bauernopfer Music Interview
Bildet Banden! . Warum der zweite Lockdown für Theater und Künstler*innen wie eine Ohrfeige wirkt
Create gangs! . Why the second lockdown is like a slap in the face for theater and artists
by Georg Kasch (28 Oct 2020)
Original source: Nachtkritik
The location of the theaters is desperate. Not only is a second lockdown imposed on them, they are also classified as "entertainment«, are in a row with gyms, betting shops and brothels. And this despite the fact that the theaters behaved so exemplarily during the lockdown. With streamings they entertained their audience, developed hygiene concepts, and replanned the new season three times. And now?, asks Gerog Kasch in his commentary. The houses have to close their doors again, although even virologists do not consider this step necessary. Can the closure rea lly be justified by the fact that the audience, after the consequent separation, meets in the stalls after the performance to discuss the evening?
If culture, unlike many other branches of the economy, is now being sacrificed as a pawn, then politics should pay for the industry's continued existence. Intendants, organizers and all those involved must insist on this. An appropriate financial compensation for the houses and a kind of basic income for the solo self-employed with loss of earnings should save the industry from the crisis.
In the meantime, however, the cultural workers should not sit back and relax, but rather tackle what was neglected in the spring: joining forces with others to raise the voice for culture together. Streaming, because those who are not visible are forgotten. However, we must not make the mistake of offering everything for free; intelligent payment concepts must be developed. His final appeal is directly addressed to the theater industry: Design the theater of tomorrow! If the experiences of the last few months are productively used for a new conception, then the lockdown makes sense for the arts. Read More Read Less
If culture, unlike many other branches of the economy, is now being sacrificed as a pawn, then politics should pay for the industry's continued existence. Intendants, organizers and all those involved must insist on this. An appropriate financial compensation for the houses and a kind of basic income for the solo self-employed with loss of earnings should save the industry from the crisis.
In the meantime, however, the cultural workers should not sit back and relax, but rather tackle what was neglected in the spring: joining forces with others to raise the voice for culture together. Streaming, because those who are not visible are forgotten. However, we must not make the mistake of offering everything for free; intelligent payment concepts must be developed. His final appeal is directly addressed to the theater industry: Design the theater of tomorrow! If the experiences of the last few months are productively used for a new conception, then the lockdown makes sense for the arts. Read More Read Less
tag November-Lockdown Unterhaltung Hygienekonzepte Bestandssicherung Grundeinkommen Bauernopfer Krise als Chance Streaming Performing Arts/ Cinema Kommentar
Eight Small New York Theaters Sue Cuomo Over Pandemic Restrictions
by Michael Paulson (26 Oct 2020)
Original source: New York Times
Eight smaller New York theaters with less than 200 seats are suing the Governor and Mayor of New York and claiming their right to equal treatment, as bowling alleys, casinos, gyms and shopping malls have already been allowed to reopen. The theaters are represented by attorney James G. Mermigis, who has already successfully sued for the reopening of the Catholic Diocese of New York and the gym.
