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.


 

Ein Wort geht um auf deutschsprachigen Bühnen: der »Premierenstau«
A word is circulating on German-speaking stages: the »premiere backlog«

by Bernd Noack (29 Jan 2021)
Original source: Neue Züricher Zeitung

While the theatres had still hoped to reopen soon with the announcement of a lockdown light in November, the date for the start of productions seems to have receded into the distant future. While many theatres were still working on new productions in November and December, rehearsals have now largely stopped. Frustration in the ensembles is growing, as it is even less foreseeable than in the spring when a return to normal operations will be possible. As at the beginning of the season in autumn, audiences can then expect a flurry of premieres, as the new productions are j ust waiting to be presented. Until then, on the one hand, crisis management is in demand at the theatres, which - according to many theatre managers - is basically part of their everyday business. On the other hand, Nicolas Stemann from the Schauspielhaus Zurich asks the justified question of whether one can continue to plan with a theatre repertoire operation or whether the houses should not use the current situation to try out new formats and a new kind of artistic activity. 

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tag Theater Systemrelevanz Lockdown Premierenstau Quo vadis ars Planungssicherheit
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.

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tag Theater Tod Streaming Arbeitsalltag psychische Belastung Quo vadis ars
Performing Arts/ Cinema Interview

Kulturzeit extra: Theater im Lockdown
Kulturzeit extra: Theatres during lockdown

by Vivian Pekovic (Moderation) (18 Nov 2020)
Original source: Kulturzeit

The German TV program Kulturzeit focusses in this issue on the situation of the theaters during lockdown. The first contribution inspects the situation at the Volksbühne in Berlin. There, the project »Spielplanänderung« (Change of play program) aimed to bring back to the stage unjustly forgotten plays by important authors. But now the theatre is not only fighting for the authors, but also for not being forgotten as institution. The actors not only play, but also discuss the role of the theater. What bothers them about the political discussion is the disrespectful tone, because they all agree that the theater offers an important outlet for society. It is the place for a discourse on topics that are discussed by a broad audience. They consider it a luxury to be allowed to rehearse, yet the current situation costs a lot of energy - especially since for many actors who do not have a permanent contract with a theater, the income breaks off. The demand that the theaters be allowed to reopen soon is not only demanded by cultural workers, but also by the Senator for Culture in Berlin, Klaus Lederer.

The theater critic and author Simon Strauß developed the program for the ›Change of program‹. He points out that it is currently dangerous to over-adapt as theater and to play down one's own status. Subsidies and the standing of the theater as a psychological and humane institution could be lost.

An important experience for the actor Lars Eidinger was not being allowed to play for seven months. During this time he realized that for him, working on stage is the creative center of his work. For him, the central characteristic of theater is immediacy, which no other medium can achieve. However, he sees the theater not as a moral institution, but rather as a free space in which one does not have to distinguish between good and evil.  

However, there are also voices that demand that theater professionals use the crisis to reflect on their own position. Simon Strauß is one of these voices. He would like to see the creative people emerge from the crisis with a new form of consciousness. For the theaters this means, among other things, revising play programs, making them more diverse. But new formats must be developed on stage. He sees streaming only as a substitute, a consolation for the time until the houses can play again. For him theaters make an important contribution to the psychological edification of people with their immediacy, with their way of raising questions. This has to be defended self-confidently against politics, especially in view of upcoming budget cuts. Theater - as Strauß puts it - is more than systemically relevant, it is »decisive«.

In addition to the theaters, however, other cultural institutions are also threatened by the crisis. Although it is still allowed to perform in Switzerland, many institutions survive mainly because of their parallel cafe and bar operation. The few spectators who are admitted to a performance make it almost impossible to work economically.

One of the few cultural institutions that are allowed to open in Germany are the galleries. They enable the artists at least not to be completely forgotten - after all, they not only suffer from the threat to their existence, but also from not being allowed to show their works. Nevertheless, it is also difficult for galleries to assert themselves on the market at the moment, because new groups of buyers cannot be addressed at present. So the question here is also how art and culture can be valued and rewarded as an essential good for society in the future.

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tag November-Lockdown Theater Krise als Chance Unmittelbarkeit Streaming Simon Strauß Lars Eidinger Volksbühne Galerien Quo vadis ars
Performing Arts/ Cinema Kultursendung

»Wir brauchen mehr Klarheit« . Theaterintendant über Lockdown-Folgen
. Theater director about lockdown consequences

by Christian Stückl, Sabine Leucht (02 Nov 2020)
Original source: taz

Ten Bavarian theaters sought dialogue with the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder last week. They did not receive an answer to their letter - whether this was only because the lockdown light was already in prospect remains open. Apart from Munich's Head of Cultural Affairs, nobody has reviewed the hygiene concepts of Munich's Volkstheater, as director Christian Stückl reports in an interview. Stückl sees the problem of the new lockdown on the one hand in the fact that the facilities which are not among the drivers of infection are now being close d. In contrast to the retail trade, culture is probably not loud enough when it comes to defending its interests. On the other hand, politicians seem to be relying on the fact that it is precisely the large institutions that are subsidized by the state and will therefore be less affected by the crisis. The fact that the many solo self-employed and the entire independent scene are in danger is often ignored.
The Munich ensembles have now asked the decision-makers for a debate on the proportionality of the measures. Whether this offer of discussion will be accepted is still open. But Stückl is already thinking aloud about whether otherwise a lawsuit would not be the right way forward.
As yet, the houses are not yet short of visitors, partly because of the reduced quotas. However, Stückl fears a de-familiarization effect if the facilities remain closed for longer. What is much worse, however, are the effects of the crisis on the artists. He reports on a conversation with a dancer who has only a few years to practice his art. If he can't dance in front of an audience now, there's no making up for it.

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tag Theater München Dialog mit der Politik Markus Söder November-Lockdown Verhältnismäßigkeit Lebensrelevanz
Performing Arts/ Cinema Interview

»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.

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tag Theater Bayern Spielzeitauftakt Hygieneregeln Kabarett
Performing Arts/ Cinema Bericht

Coronaregeln in Theatern . Gute Chancen für weitere Lockerungen
Corona regulations in theatres . good chances for further easing

by Ulrich Khuon, Vladimir Balzer (07 Sep 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur

The theaters, operas and concert halls are the safest public spaces. Ulrich Khuon, director of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin and president of the German Stage Association (Deutscher Bühnenverein), is convinced that infections in theaters are largely ruled out. The ventilation systems in most theaters are excellent, and strict attention is paid to the observance of hygiene rules by the audience and staff. Even in the event of an infection, the tracking of people is no problem, unlike in the bus and train. And so Ulrich Khuon pleads - also in view of the successful Salzburg Festival - for further relaxation in the event area, which should be as uniform as possible for all federal states: one meter distance is justifiable based on current experience. The confidence of the visitors has also grown in recent weeks to such an extent that the innovations have been accepted.
Khuon sees a danger in the tendency of many houses to start the season with short plays. Quickly edible formats that do not cause any problems should not dominate the program. One could also reconsider breaks at the moment.
Khuon critically refers to a current statement by Bavarian Prime Minister Söder, who has drafted a clear hierarchy of easing: First comes economic life, then schools and daycare centers. If things run smoothly and without contagion here again, one could also take care of sports and culture. The fact that even after half a year, one of the most important figures in crisis management has still not come to the conclusion that culture is an important economic factor in Germany outrages the chairman of the German Stage Association.

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tag Theater Abstandsregeln Schachbrettmuster Salzburger Festspiele Deutscher Bühnenverein
All sections Interview

DOV: In der Klassik fallen viele durch alle Förderraster . Corona-Hilfen für die Musik
DOV: In classical music, many fall through all the funding cracks . Corona aids for music

by Gerald Mertens, Jörg Biesler (02 Aug 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk

Funding conditions for the music sector were extended by the federal government. Living costs can now also be taken into account. Nevertheless, the support is far from sufficient to compensate for the billions lost in the industry - especially since all employment routes for musicians have been cut off at the same time.
Gerald Mertens, Managing Director of the German Orchestra Association (DOV), describes the current situation of artists and orchestras in an interview. He predicts that many musicians will look for other jobs because they cannot cover 12 months of loss of income from reserves. He formulates the demand that the federal and state governments must give more support to classical music, which is currently falling through all the cracks.

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tag klassische Musik Orchester Berufsverbot Initiative Musik Umsatzeinbruch Kulturförderung
Music Interview

Vorhang auf! . Spielstart: Anti-Corona-Konzepte deutscher Theater
Open the Curtain! . Start of Season: Anti-Corona concepts of German Theatres

by Verena Greb, Nadine Wojcik (19 Jul 2020)
Original source: Deutsche Welle

Dismantled seats, Plexiglas panes, hand disinfection, separate entrances and exits: The operation at the theaters is to start again, but this requires hygiene concepts to protect the audience from being infected by droplets. Each theatre is currently developing its own concepts. What they all have in common is that a maximum of a quarter of the previous tickets can be offered.
Special tests were carried out in Augsburg and Berlin. With the help of machines and fans, hydrogen peroxide is nebulized over large areas in the halls. The Berliner Ensemble reports that th e naturally degradable disinfectant can kill 99 percent of viruses and bacteria. In the future, the technology will therefore not only be used for the halls, but also for toilets and entrance areas.
Meanwhile, a theater course has been developed at the Munich Residenztheater. The visitors are guided in groups of four through different stations in the building where the individual scenes are performed. However, it is problematic that not only the audience has to be kept at a distance, but also the actors must not get too close to each other.
Therefore, the schedules for the new season have been revised in all buildings, and extremely physical productions have been cancelled, as have those with many different roles.
Even though the theaters are slowly awakening from their state of shock, fundamental doubts remain about cultural policy: Why do the theaters have different regulations than German aviation? What significance does culture have? The survival of the large theaters is ensured by Corona cultural aid. If this is not sufficient, the federal states will help out in the long term. For the small theaters, which cannot keep buoy up with their limited number of seats, things do not look so rosy. They now have to decide whether to extend the Corona break. The curtain may have fallen here forever.

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tag Spielzeit Theater Hygieneregeln Wasserstoffperoxid Freie Szene Kulturförderung
Performing Arts/ Cinema Bericht

Ein bisschen Event geht immer . Klassik & Corona
A little bit of event always works . Classical music & Corona

by Manuel Brug (20 Jun 2020)
Original source: Welt

The friends of classical music would currently be preparing for an exciting festival summer if Corona did not prevent pretty much everything that inspires the classical world. In his article, Manuel Brug gives an overview of the plans for the summer and the start of the season. While the start of the season has already been postponed to January at the major opera houses in the USA, the Paris Opera is struggling with a 40 million deficit. In Germany, the new season is being celebrated with smaller productions, only the Bavarian State Opera does not want to miss a per formance with Marina Abramovic.

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tag Klassische Musik Oper Konzerthäuser Spielplan Festivals USA Paris Streaming Marina Abramovic
Music Bericht

»Es gab keine Kommunikation zwischen Theater und Politik« . Öffnung von Theatern und Opernhäusern
»There was no communication between theatre and politics« . Opening ot theatres and opera houses

by Barbara Behrendt, Michael Schmitz-Aufterbeck (31 May 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk

Around 30 employees at the Aachen Theater had Covid 19 in March. Even though the state government of NRW allows the theaters to reopen on May 31, a regular program will only be played in Aachen in compliance with the hygiene rules at the beginning of the new season. Then only smaller productions will be shown in front of a significantly reduced audience.
The general director Michael Schmitz-Aufterbeck is irritated in the conversation that the politicians have not previously sought a dialogue with the persons engaged in the cultural sector. He describes in great de tail the difficulty of implementing the requirements for his employees, as the rooms are particularly limited on back stage and are sometimes very narrow.

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tag Theater Oper Öffnung Hygieneregeln Kommunikation Spielplan Ulrich Khuon
Performing Arts/ Cinema Interview

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The Team

Facing arts is a projet by STORM.

STORM is an acronym playing with the initials by Miriam Seidler & Tim Otto Roth, who are hit both by the Corona crisis. Dr. Miriam Seidler is a scholar in German literature and currently works as specialist in public relations. Dr. Tim Otto Roth is a scholar in art and science history and works as a conceptual artist and composer. He is known for his huge projects in public space, cooperations with leading scientific institutions and his immersive sound and light installations. Miriam and Tim collaborate regularly for years. With facing arts they reaslize their first common art project.
You find more informatin on both initiators on www.miriamseidler.de and www.imachination.net.

Special thanks to Paco Croket for the tag cloud programming!

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