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  • Tile with the inscription “Statement by the Federal Cultural Promotion Fund on the Federal Government's draft budget for 2025”

    Severe Cuts to the Federal Cultural Funds indicate a lack of consistent and sustainable support for the independent arts and culture scene

    Statement of the Federal Cultural Funds on the 2025 Budget Proposal of the Federal Government

  • 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 02. October 2024 Theaterpreis des Bundes, Haus der Berliner Festspiele and on www.fonds-daku.de black on a pink background.

    Theaterpreis des Bundes

    The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) is once again awarding the Federal Theater Prize in 2024.

  • Graphic with the inscription “Tabori Prize 2024”

    Tabori Preis 2024

    Save the Date: Award ceremony on October 02, 2024 as part of the Federal Theater Prize (Theaterpreis des Bundes)

Current application deadlines

  1. Production funding 02.09.2024
  2. Network funding 05.09.2024
  3. GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS Rural 01.10.2024
  4. GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS Digital 01.10.2024
  5. Revival funding 07.10.2024

News

  • Tile with the inscription “Statement by the Federal Cultural Promotion Fund on the Federal Government's draft budget for 2025”

    Severe Cuts to the Federal Cultural Funds indicate a lack of consistent and sustainable support for the independent arts and culture scene

    "the six Federal Cultural Funds are to receive only about half the funds compared to the 2024 budget." Read the entire Statement of the Federal Cultural Funds on the 2025 Budget Proposal of the Federal Government

  • 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 premiered on May 25, 2025 as part of "THE ART OF STAYING MANY".

  • Tile: Lettering 02. October 2024 Theaterpreis des Bundes, Haus der Berliner Festspiele and on www.fonds-daku.de 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.

  • Graphic with the inscription “Tabori Prize 2024”

    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

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  • Two dancers in tight, colorful costumes stand opposite each other. Their knees are bent, their arms stretched upwards. In the background, a dancer in a wheelchair lifts a dancer. The audience sits on chairs at the edge of the scene. © Tom Dachs

    A model project for Saxony

    23 Jul 2024

    Anne-Cathrin Lessel, director of Leipzig-based LOFFT, and FORWARD DANCE COMPANY artistic project manager Gustavo Fijalkow talk to Christine Wahl about three forms of participation that will be implemented with the money from the 2023 Theaterpreis des Bundes.

  • Tile with the inscription “Statement by the Federal Cultural Promotion Fund on the Federal Government's draft budget for 2025”

    Massive Kürzungen bei den Bundeskulturfonds zeugen von keiner konsistenten und nachhaltigen Förderung der freien Kunst- und Kulturszene

    19 Jul 2024

  • A man dressed in white is lying on his back on the floor of a studio. With outstretched arms, he reaches for the feet of a woman dressed in black, hanging from the ceiling by her hair. Her body is arched over, her arms outstretched. © Dave Grossmann

    "We have tons of great projects"

    16 Jul 2024

    Managing Director Hendrik Frobel, in-house dramaturge Geordie Bookman and artist duo Ana Jordao and Vincent Kollar in conversation with Christine Wahl about the residency program that Chamäleon Berlin is implementing with the prize money from the 2023 Theaterpreis.

  • A group of women stand on stage in a rectangular field of light. They each dance for themselves and yet together. © Zé de Paiva

    Spaces to try things out

    03 Jul 2024

    Artistic director Wagner Carvalho, dramaturge Fabian Larsson, set designer Leonie Brüggenwerth and costume designer Mathieu Amadou from Ballhaus Naunynstraße talk to Christine Wahl about a new learning and exchange format that will be launched at the theater in October thanks to the prize money from the Theaterpreis des Bundes.

  • Bathed in subdued, reddish light, a group of people stand tightly packed in the room with their arms stretched upwards. © Jörg Baumann

    ​​​No fear of new images of masculinity​​

    26 Jun 2024

    ​​​This weekend in Potsdam, THE ART OF STAYING MANY will explore new narrative forms in volatile times. Journalist and writer Nora Burgard-Arp will be exploring feminist perspectives on right-wing extremist narratives. For our magazine, she talks about her work as an author.​​

  • Serbastian Köthe gives his lecture at a lectern. In the background, the title “Politics of the Independent Performing Arts. Five short portraits of contemporary artistic processes". © Dorothea Tuch

    Politics of the independent performing arts. Five short portraits of artistic processes.

    24 Jun 2024

    On May 25, 2024, the documentary "BLICKWECHSEL - Publika und Politiken der Darstellenden Künste" by Janina Möbius celebrated its premiere at HAU Hebbel am Ufer/HAU3 as part of the event series "DIE KUNST, VIELE ZU BLEIBEN. Nationwide Forums for Art, Freedom and Democracy" premiere. The documentary was commissioned by the fund and takes a look at the relationship between the public and artists with a special focus on the increasing polarization of society. In his introductory lecture on the occasion of the film premiere, cultural scientist Sebastian Köthe portrayed five aesthetic methods of politicization in the performing arts of the present day.

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

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THE ART OF STAYING MANY | Erfurt

16 - 17 August 2024

Format: nationwide forums

Erfurt | Plattenstufen-Festspiele präsentiert vom PHOENIX Theaterfestival

The Fonds Darstellende Künste is organizing forums at nine locations across Germany - with art, action and debate. In Erfurt, the forum takes place away from the cathedral and old town at the Platz der Völkerfreundschaft in the middle of the prefabricated housing block in Rieth. And is planned as a very practical strategy of friendship with networks, communities, a performative beauty salon (Frauke Frech) and arguing, grumbling, singing (citizens')-choirs - for a resistant and contentious local community.

Registration

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

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16.04.2024 | Info-Veranstaltung für Antragstellende | Produktionsförderung

19 August 2024, 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM

Format: Info-Veranstaltung

Online

Das Team des Fonds Darstellende Künste stellt die Produktionsförderung in einer öffentlichen Online-Informationsveranstaltung vor.

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21.08.2024 | Info-Veranstaltung für Antragstellende | GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS

21 August 2024, 02:30 PM - 04:00 PM

Format: Info-Veranstaltung

Online

Test

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