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  • Grafic: In the background rays with color gradient, on it the text: The art of staying many. Nationwide forums on art, freedom and democracy. Berlin, Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Berlin, Potsdam, Erfurt, Weimar, Dresden.

    THE ART OF STAYING MANY. Nationwide Forums for Art, Freedom and Democracy

    The Fonds Darstellende Künste is organizing forums at nine locations across Germany - with art, activities and debates.

  • Tile: lettering Open Call Theaterpreis des Bundes, application deadline April 15, 2024 in black on a pink background.

    Theaterpreis des Bundes 2024 - Open Call

    The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) is once again awarding the Federal Theater Prize in 2024. Applications could be submitted until April 15, 2024.

Current application deadlines

  1. Production funding 02.05.2024

News

  • Grafic: In the background rays with color gradient, on it the text: The art of staying many. Nationwide forums on art, freedom and democracy. Berlin, Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Berlin, Potsdam, Erfurt, Weimar, Dresden.

    THE ART OF STAYING MANY

    The Fonds Darstellende Künste is organizing forums at nine locations across Germany - with art, events and debates. Starting in Berlin, the journey continues to Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Potsdam, Erfurt, Weimar and Dresden. The mobile theater truck stops everywhere and becomes a platform, a space for discourse, a cinema and a stage. The Art of staying many. Each for themselves - and together in heterogeneity, pluralism and acceptance of our diverse society.

  • A performer stands in a dark blue coat with a red fur hood on a green field. On her head, the person is wearing a kind of helmet with antlers from which strings of pearls hang. The eyes and nose are covered by a piece of glittering fabric that forms the visor of the helmet. © soilfilms Michael Weihrauch

    BLICKWECHSEL – Publika und Politiken der Darstellenden Künste

    In her latest documentary, Janina Möbius examines the relationship between audiences and artists against the backdrop of growing social challenges. The film will premiere on May 25, 2025 as part of "THE ART OF STAYING MANY".

  • Tile: lettering Open Call Theaterpreis des Bundes, application deadline April 15, 2024 in black on a pink background.

    Theaterpreis des Bundes 2024

    The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) is once again awarding the Federal Theater Prize in 2024. Theater institutions can now apply with their portfolio and innovative formats. The closing date for entries is 15.04.2024.

  • Tile with different colored diamonds distributed on the right side of the image and the following text: BALL - Bundesweites Artist Labor der Labore, October 20 and 21, 2023, Kamnagel Hamburg. Bottom right logos of the Fonds, Neustart Kultur and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Medi

    B.A.L.L. & Bundesweite Artist Labs 2023

    Artists from all genres and disciplines dealt with questions of audience acquisition and retention in 64 self-directed lab formats. At the second Bundesweite Artist Labor der Labore - B.A.L.L. for short - on October 20 and 21, 2023 at Kampnagel in Hamburg, joint research was taken to the next level - check out the online documentation.

  • A person with short blond hair in an orange costume and pink gloves on a stage licks a wall of transparent foil erected to the audience. © Kathinka Schröder

    The "CHICKS* case" at the WILDWECHSEL festival

    The "CHICKS* case" at the WILDWECHSEL festival affects us all. And we would like to emphasize: "Lecken" is supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste ...

  • There are many people on a stage, all holding a stretched umbrella in their hands. On a projection surface in the background is written: Shield and Shine. © Alexandra Polina

    Shield & Shine

    150 cultural institutions are the first co-initiators of the "Shield & Shine" campaign of the VIELEN. Among them is the Fonds. DIE VIELEN are calling for discussions and demonstrations to shine more brightly for a pluralistic, democratic shaping of the world and to resolutely oppose right-wing extremism.

Latest blog posts

All Posts
  • A group of children with self-made paper masks perform a choreography. © privat

    Kunst kennt keine Sprachbarrieren

    05 Apr 2024

    Im Projekt „Think common – play common” – gefördert durch den Fonds Darstellende Künste im Programm GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS – trafen Kinder mit Fluchterfahrung aus unterschiedlichen Herkunftsländern aufeinander. David P. Fischer, ein Teammitglied von Stadt|Raum|Museum e.V, berichtet.

  • A man with a disability on a stage. He is holding an open yellow umbrella. In front of him are two more open umbrellas. © Thilo Endres

    Theater with all the senses

    25 Mar 2024

    From the very beginning, Christina Beeck and Frieder Schmitz-Beeck and their newly founded Theater im Wiesengässle in Mundingen have relied on a growing network of local cultural partners who they work with to implement educational theater projects in the region. For the "Theater mit allen Sinnen" (Theater with all the Senses) project, supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste as part of the GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS program, a partnership was formed with the inclusive Schmiechtal Kindergarten and the Wenzelstein neighborhood project of the Ehingen branch of the charity Caritas Ulm-Alb-Donau.

  • A group of children in green rain ponchos made of thin plastic demonstrate, two children hold a banner with the word Friends written on it in colorful letters. © Astrid Rashed

    On the edge, but right in the middle

    11 Mar 2024

    In the Oderbruch region of Brandenburg, the local Theater am Rand, the Altreetz elementary school and the Brodowin eco-village have joined forces to expand the range of activities for disadvantaged young people in the region – supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste as part of the GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS program. The artistic director, actress Astrid Rashed, shares a few thoughts from the project.

  • A teenager in a baseball cap balances on a thick metal chain stretched between two concrete bollards. Other young people in the group watch her as she does this. © Moritz Walliser

    The reinterpretation of urban space into a playing field

    23 Feb 2024

    The project "Overcome Reality Young Star Edition" – supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste as part of the GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS program – works with its participants to seek new paths into their own city and interweaves different parts of Hamburg through movement. The partners Kunstwerk e.V., Parkour Creation and Kulturagent*innen Hamburg have joined forces to achieve this. Rica Blunck, an artist involved in the project, shares her impressions.

  • A group of young people pose in front of a blue train. © Juliane Lenssen, Jens Erwin Siemssen

    Peatland – Theater on a train

    16 Feb 2024

    The ensemble Das Letzte Kleinod has been performing theater in their ocean blue train for many years. For the youth project Peatland – supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste within the GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS program – they teamed up with the Deinster Bahnhof development association and the Elbe-Weser Railroads and Transport Company and invited children and young people, both those with and without experience as refugees, to explore the surrounding area on their train. Artists Jens-Erwin Siemssen and Juliane Lenssen share their experiences from the project.

  • © Heike Sählbrandt, Wanda Möller

    The Kulturkolchose theater workshop

    05 Feb 2024

    There was plenty of demand from young people for local cultural activities. The Kulturkolchose Lehsten association, together with the Möllenhagen parish and the Wendorf children's castle, quickly initiated two theater workshops – supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste as part of the GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS program. Initiator Steffi Kühn reports on the two projects.

About the Fonds

  • Photo with folders © Benjamin Krieg

    Funding

    With its funding lines, the Fonds continues the specific support of the independent performing arts.

  • Photo of a phone lying on a desk. © Benjamin Krieg

    Consulting

    The Fonds Darstellende Künste not only supports projects, but is also a service and consulting partner for independent artists, collectives and institutions. The office advises interested parties and artists on aspects of the application process as well as on structural and organizational issues beyond the scope of its own funding programs.

  • Photo of a printed project schedule on a whiteboard. © Benjamin Krieg

    The Fonds Darstellende Künste

    For over 30 years, the Fonds Darstellende Künste has been one of the six federal cultural promotion funds supporting the art and cultural landscape of the Federal Republic of Germany, with a special focus on promoting the independent performing arts.

Upcoming events

All Archive

THE ART OF STAYING MANY | Berlin

24 - 25 May 2024

Format: Filmpremiere, nationwide forums

Berlin | HAU Hebbel am Ufer | Stresemannstraße 29 (HAU1 ) | Tempelhofer Ufer 10 (HAU3 )

"THE ART OF STAYING MANY" is a journey through eight German cities that stands up for art, freedom and democracy in a variety of gatherings. It starts with two evenings at HAU Hebbel am Ufer.After a cultural policy kick-off with, among others, the Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination Ferda Ataman, the Berlin Senator for Culture Joe Chialo and the Hamburg Senator for Culture and Media Dr. Carsten Brosda, the nationwide forums will begin with the German premiere of "La Obra". In it, Mariano Pensotti and Grupo Marea (Argentina) explore the multiple perspectives of our images of reality and make a statement against the right-wing populism of the present day. We will also open the mobile truck stage with drinks and music.

The following day, Janina Möbius' new film "BLICKWECHSEL - Publika und Politiken der Darstellenden Künste" will premiere at HAU3. In it, the director explores the resonances and social transformation potentials between performing artists and their diverse audiences.

Registration

Further information on the program and registration can be found here.
The registration deadline is May 22, 2024.

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THE ART OF STAYING MANY | Leipzig

01 - 02 June 2024

Format: nationwide forums

Leipzig | LOFFT – DAS THEATER, Residenz Schauspiel Leipzig

The Fonds Darstellende Künste is organizing forums at nine locations across Germany - with art, action and debate. The two-day debate and performance program in Leipzig focuses on attacks on artistic (freedom), good debates and resistant subcultures and perspectives.

Registration

Further information on the program and registration can be found here.

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THE ART OF STAYING MANY | Düsseldorf

07 - 08 June 2024

Format: nationwide forums

Düsseldorf | Impulse Theater Festival, FFT Düsseldorf

The Fonds Darstellende Künste is organizing forums at nine locations across Germany - with art, action and debate. The FORUM in Düsseldorf uses art, action and debate to tackle what is probably the most pressing task of our time: to remain many and thus strengthen democracy. The hate campaign against the collective CHICKS* and its performance "LECKEN" following the invitation to the Wildwuchs Festival in Zwickau showed just how threatening right-wing agitation can be. The FORUM presents "LECKEN" and invites you to a solidarity-based exchange of knowledge between West and East German theater festivals with a focus on constitutional law: How do the Basic Law and the rule of law protect the freedom of art and artists from arbitrariness and discrimination? Contributions by Gin Müller on performative forms of resistance and by Arne Vogelgesang on narratives of the New Right on youth and family connect the discourse with artistic-activist practice.

Registration

Further information on the program and registration can be found here.

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