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.
»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
Mein Europa: Ohne Kunst und Kultur wird's still
My Europe: Without art and culture it will be quiet.
by Carmen-Francesca Banciu (20 Nov 2020)
Original source: Deutsche Welle
With the reference "Without art and culture it will be quiet", cultural workers are currently drawing attention to the existential threat to the cultural industry posed by the corona lockdown, an industry that was already precarious before the crisis. But what does this mean in concrete terms?
The writer Carmen-Francesca Banciu makes it clear in her column at Deutsche Welle with an appeal by Nancy Bass Wyden, the owner of the New York Strand Book Shop on the corner of 12th Street and Broadway: »We need help.« Institutions like the world -famous antiquarian bookstore are facing the end of their existence in the face of the consequences of Corona if they do not receive support. This does not only apply to the Strand Book Shop but also to the »Dussmann in Berlin, Dom Knigi in St. Petersburg, Dominicans in Maastricht, Libreria Aqua Alta in Venice, Atlantic Books on Santorini, Livraria Lello & Irmao in Porto, Desperate Literatur in Madrid, Carturesti in Bucharest« - the list could be extended by many, many more bookstores, cultural department stores or record stores. All of these are places where not only books were sold, but also meeting places for authors, musicians, artists, readers, critics and all other culture enthusiasts. Places which, because of their special atmosphere, became the backdrop for films and whose charisma not only represents the European spirit, but which also became a spiritual home for their visitors. This cannot be captured by streaming music or theater performances. This is why the statement »Without art and culture it will be quiet« is so important at the moment: When the world becomes quiet, according to Carmen-Francesca Banciu, it becomes dark within us. This must be avoided. Read More Read Less
The writer Carmen-Francesca Banciu makes it clear in her column at Deutsche Welle with an appeal by Nancy Bass Wyden, the owner of the New York Strand Book Shop on the corner of 12th Street and Broadway: »We need help.« Institutions like the world -famous antiquarian bookstore are facing the end of their existence in the face of the consequences of Corona if they do not receive support. This does not only apply to the Strand Book Shop but also to the »Dussmann in Berlin, Dom Knigi in St. Petersburg, Dominicans in Maastricht, Libreria Aqua Alta in Venice, Atlantic Books on Santorini, Livraria Lello & Irmao in Porto, Desperate Literatur in Madrid, Carturesti in Bucharest« - the list could be extended by many, many more bookstores, cultural department stores or record stores. All of these are places where not only books were sold, but also meeting places for authors, musicians, artists, readers, critics and all other culture enthusiasts. Places which, because of their special atmosphere, became the backdrop for films and whose charisma not only represents the European spirit, but which also became a spiritual home for their visitors. This cannot be captured by streaming music or theater performances. This is why the statement »Without art and culture it will be quiet« is so important at the moment: When the world becomes quiet, according to Carmen-Francesca Banciu, it becomes dark within us. This must be avoided. Read More Read Less
tag Buchhandlungen Kulturkaufhäuser Streaming geistige Heimat Prekariat Strand Book Shop New York All sections Gastkolumne
Wie gerecht ist der Orchesterbetrieb? . Die Corona-Krise macht ein Zwei-Klassen-System sichtbar
How fair is the orchestra business? . Corona crisis reveals a two-tier system
by Frederik Hanssen (16 Nov 2020)
Original source: Tagesspiegel
What is the music scene's lobby? This question has been discussed again and again in the last weeks. The permanently employed musicians are represented by the German Orchestra Association. In recent years, this association has negotiated good collective agreements for orchestra members. This means that they are well-positioned - also in comparison to freelance vocal soloists - and can safely get through the crisis, especially since they have relatively secure jobs due to their job at a state-financed institution.
The situation is currently different in the ind ependent scene. Two years ago the organization ›Freo‹, the Association of Free Ensembles and Orchestras in Germany, was founded, but it was intended as a forum for the exchange of experience. During the crisis, it is now lobbying for the independent ensembles and orchestras. This is all but easy, as Frederik Hanssen points out using the example of the German Chamber Orchestra (DKO). The orchestra works with a permanent staff of 20 freelance musicians who are booked for individual projects. Performances and tours are planned and organized by three employees. Although the orchestra has regular customers, most of whom have not returned their tickets in spring, and have extended their subscriptions to a large extent, the orchestra does not benefit from the State Minister of Culture's special fund for independent orchestras. While other orchestras and ensembles can use this fund to pay the salaries of the musicians until the end of the year, the freelance musicians and their orchestras are running out of road. Therefore, 'Freo' is now demanding to compensate this inequality by providing a basic financial security for the members of the free orchestras. This is not only about short-term survival, but also about the question of how state funding can be fairly distributed in the coming years when communal revenues collapse and cultural budgets are cut. The Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt is setting an example of solidarity. Next spring, it will make its halls available to independent formations on 12 evenings for free. Read More Read Less
The situation is currently different in the ind ependent scene. Two years ago the organization ›Freo‹, the Association of Free Ensembles and Orchestras in Germany, was founded, but it was intended as a forum for the exchange of experience. During the crisis, it is now lobbying for the independent ensembles and orchestras. This is all but easy, as Frederik Hanssen points out using the example of the German Chamber Orchestra (DKO). The orchestra works with a permanent staff of 20 freelance musicians who are booked for individual projects. Performances and tours are planned and organized by three employees. Although the orchestra has regular customers, most of whom have not returned their tickets in spring, and have extended their subscriptions to a large extent, the orchestra does not benefit from the State Minister of Culture's special fund for independent orchestras. While other orchestras and ensembles can use this fund to pay the salaries of the musicians until the end of the year, the freelance musicians and their orchestras are running out of road. Therefore, 'Freo' is now demanding to compensate this inequality by providing a basic financial security for the members of the free orchestras. This is not only about short-term survival, but also about the question of how state funding can be fairly distributed in the coming years when communal revenues collapse and cultural budgets are cut. The Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt is setting an example of solidarity. Next spring, it will make its halls available to independent formations on 12 evenings for free. Read More Read Less
tag Orchester Orchestervereinigung Freie Orchester Lobby Krise nach der Krise Etatkürzungen Music Bericht
Lockdown mit Nebenwirkungen . Kultur auf Abtand
Lockdown with side effects . Culture at bay
by Claudia Kuhland, Marion Ammicht (08 Nov 2020)
Original source: ttt - titel themen tempramente
After a week of lockdown for the arts, the ARD cultural magazine provides an overview of the reactions of cultural workers to the closure of the institutions. The opening quote by the Minister for Culture and Science in NRW, Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, is symptomatic of the way the scene is handled. Culture is accused of violating the social consensus; the existential needs of many freelance artists, but also of the many companies dependent on the industry and solo self-employed are hardly heard. It is therefore not surprising that theater directors, museum directors, and managers of concert halls are now harshly criticizing political decisions - especially since offers of discussion are not heard from their side. The fact that especially in »our attacked democracy« the voice of art and culture must not be overheard is something that theatre director Karin Beier, for example, warns against, and perhaps implicitly gives a reason why Germans currently prefer to be sent shopping rather than to the theater or museum.
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tag November-Lockdown #AlarmstufeRot #sangundklanglos Solidarität Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen All sections Bericht
Stille mit Vorsatz . Verbale Aufrüstung schlägt nötige Differenzierung: zur Kritik der Kulturbranche am zweiten Shutdown
Silence with intent . Verbal armament beats necessary differentiation: on the culture industry's criticism of the second shutdown
by Hartmut Welscher, Christian Koch (04 Nov 2020)
Original source: VAN Magazin für klassische Musik
The fact that the November lockdown hits art and culture hard, even though excellent hygiene concepts were developed to protect the public, divides the cultural world in Germany. The displeasure was expressed in open letters and articles in newspapers and social media. Only a few balanced voices can be heard at present. Federal and state governments are not innocent of this situation, as they have caused displeasure by failing to provide adequate justification as to which cultural and economic sectors are to be closed and which may remain open. As was already the case in March, many cultural workers feel offended by politics being assigned to professions that are not systemically relevant. So they feel that their function for society is not valued. Many now joined the statement of the trumpeter Tim Brönner, who complained that the cultural industry had no lobby, and tried to make themselves heard. The verbal armament, however, conceals the fact that the pandemic constitutes a twofold threat to artists: in addition to the material threat, many of them increasingly find themselves in a crisis of identity when they are no longer allowed to perform or interact with an audience. And so artists are currently making themselves heard loud and clear, but are still unable to find their way around.This applies not only to culture, but also to politics, which is currently more likely to stumble forward than to steer the processes in a targeted manner. And so the authors feel uncomfortable when Finance Minister Olaf Scholz keeps granting new aid programs. Public funds are limited, and the first municipalities are already making cuts.
For the cultural industry, the question now is where the development is heading. There will hardly be a return to the status quo-especially since it was not a good one before the crisis. At the beginning of the pandemic, many musicians were happy to have escaped the »hamster wheel of global competition and competitive pressure«. Can't quantity leave the field to quality? In this way, the cultural sector could at the same time make its contribution to solving the ecological question. Read More Read Less
For the cultural industry, the question now is where the development is heading. There will hardly be a return to the status quo-especially since it was not a good one before the crisis. At the beginning of the pandemic, many musicians were happy to have escaped the »hamster wheel of global competition and competitive pressure«. Can't quantity leave the field to quality? In this way, the cultural sector could at the same time make its contribution to solving the ecological question. Read More Read Less
tag Klassik Musikbranche November-Lockdown Lagerbildung Lobby Sinnkrise Existenzkrise Quo vadis ars Stille Hamsterrad Music Bericht
Bayerische Theater entsetzt über neue Corona-Regeln
Bavarian theaters appalled by new corona regulations
by Christoph Leibold (22 Oct 2020)
Original source: BR24
Following the announcement last week in North Rhine-Westphalia of a limit on the number of spectators for theaters due to rising corona infections, Bavaria is now following suit. Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder announced that regardless of the size of a house, when an incidence rate of 100 infections per 100,000 inhabitants is reached, only 50 participants will be allowed to attend a cultural event.
In Bavaria's theaters, the outcry is great. Up to now, the rules of distance have been generously adhered to, and every house has a well-developed hygiene concept. In Bavaria, too, there are no infectious diseases among visitors to cultural events. Instead of recognizing this success, the new decree destroys it. Those involved in culture accuse the State Chancellery of not having gained an impression of the situation in the houses so far. Even the »representatives of the cultural scene« apparently involved in the decision could not be identified so far. No director of the large Bavarian theaters was asked to comment. So it is not surprising that the director of the Kammerspiele, Barbara Mundel, accuses the state premier of »purely symbolic politics« at the expense of the cultural institutions. For these institutions, the new decree is tantamount to a new lockdown. Another aspect that Mundel addresses should not be forgotten in the current situation: Theater and other open spaces of art offer the opportunity for exchange and reflection. This is the place to reflect on the consequences of the Corona crisis for our society. Read More Read Less
In Bavaria's theaters, the outcry is great. Up to now, the rules of distance have been generously adhered to, and every house has a well-developed hygiene concept. In Bavaria, too, there are no infectious diseases among visitors to cultural events. Instead of recognizing this success, the new decree destroys it. Those involved in culture accuse the State Chancellery of not having gained an impression of the situation in the houses so far. Even the »representatives of the cultural scene« apparently involved in the decision could not be identified so far. No director of the large Bavarian theaters was asked to comment. So it is not surprising that the director of the Kammerspiele, Barbara Mundel, accuses the state premier of »purely symbolic politics« at the expense of the cultural institutions. For these institutions, the new decree is tantamount to a new lockdown. Another aspect that Mundel addresses should not be forgotten in the current situation: Theater and other open spaces of art offer the opportunity for exchange and reflection. This is the place to reflect on the consequences of the Corona crisis for our society. Read More Read Less
tag Theater Inzidenzwert Hygieneregeln Bayern Markus Söder Performing Arts/ Cinema 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
»Kurz einknicken und dann wieder aufbäumen«
»Buckle briefly and then rebel again«
by Karin Beier, Hans-Jürgen Mende (29 Sep 2020)
Original source: NDR Kultur
The month of November presents a great challenge to the psyche of the hamburger. If the November blues is also associated with a lockdown, it will be difficult to maintain optimism. Karin Beier, artistic director of the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, reports in an interview with NDR (North German Broadcasting) that at the moment she has to take care of the inner life of her employees. Next week there was a premiere, the team members were highly motivated to work on performances and hygiene concepts over the summer - with the decision of the federal and state governments to c lose all cultural institutions in November, the disappointment is great and the air is out.
When asked about the possibility of streaming premieres and other performances, the director reacts hesitantly. The theater lives from its live character. She herself is extremely reluctant to watch recordings. One possibility that is currently being discussed at the house is live broadcasting of the performances. However, Beier doubts that the Internet connection will allow this.
The consequences of the lockdown for the cultural scene are currently not yet foreseeable. Since she runs a state-subsidized house, Beier knows that she is whining on a high level. Unlike many restaurateurs or private theaters whose existence is threatened, her house is not facing insolvency. However, she can only support the independent scene in an idealistic way. Due to the consequences of the pandemic for the public purse, she assumes that the theaters will change in the coming years. Read More Read Less
When asked about the possibility of streaming premieres and other performances, the director reacts hesitantly. The theater lives from its live character. She herself is extremely reluctant to watch recordings. One possibility that is currently being discussed at the house is live broadcasting of the performances. However, Beier doubts that the Internet connection will allow this.
The consequences of the lockdown for the cultural scene are currently not yet foreseeable. Since she runs a state-subsidized house, Beier knows that she is whining on a high level. Unlike many restaurateurs or private theaters whose existence is threatened, her house is not facing insolvency. However, she can only support the independent scene in an idealistic way. Due to the consequences of the pandemic for the public purse, she assumes that the theaters will change in the coming years. Read More Read Less
tag Theater Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg November-Lockdown psychische Belastung Novemberblues Performing Arts/ Cinema Interview
»Auch Kunst ist systemrelevant« . Kultur in der Corona-Krise
»Art is also a systemically relevant« . Culture during Corona crisis
by Katharina von Tschurtschenthaler (13 Aug 2020)
Original source: tagesschau
Since 6 weeks the Hamburg Tivoli-Theater at the Reeperbahn is playing again. However, a lot of things are different than in pre-Corona times. Every house has to present its own hygiene concept and needs to have it approved. At the Tivoli, currently only 250 instead of 630 tickets per performance can be sold. But in contrast to the successful Hamburg musicals, which are still unable to perform, at least the operation is secured here. Support from Hamburg's cultural authority makes it possible for the Tivoli to make ends meet despite the lack of income. Nevertheless, t heatre boss Corny Littmann is disappointed that the importance of culture in Corona times has not really been discussed. The focus was on Lufthansa and daycare centres.
The team is happy to be able to perform again. Singers are doing admission controls or take over the moderation of the evening. After four months without engagement every job is accepted. But what is still missing is interaction with the audience. They are happy that they can attend cultural events again. Read More Read Less
The team is happy to be able to perform again. Singers are doing admission controls or take over the moderation of the evening. After four months without engagement every job is accepted. But what is still missing is interaction with the audience. They are happy that they can attend cultural events again. Read More Read Less
