ON HOLD. HOLD ON

Trust and consistency are what we need. I’m grateful to Nancy Faeser, who was here this morning, for clearly stating that we must move away from project-based thinking. We must work together on long-term prospects. Because what Heinrich Horwitz already hinted at in his summary on artistic freedom applies in particular to the institutions from whose perspective I am now speaking.

We must be able to reassure the artists we work with that there will be no political interference in their art. Of course, we don’t allow misanthropic hate speech on our stages. This morning in our workshop, we discussed, from a philosophical and legal perspective, the fact that the freedom of artistic expression guaranteed in our constitution allows for the conclusion that this art, which is supposed to be free, must also be sufficiently funded and protected. That politics is responsible for the conditions under which art is created, which the Federal Constitutional Court calls, and I quote, “guaranteeing the freedom of the artistic sphere.” [dt: „die Gewährleistung des freiheitlichen Lebensbereich Kunst“] There is consensus on this among the democratic parties. But we also need to constantly communicate with each other about what this sphere should look like. It shouldn’t be a monoculture. That was also the consensus today. That’s why I’m glad that the cultural policy spokespersons of the coalition’s parliamentary groups and the committee chair are here today to listen and share their thoughts with us.

I would like to make one further comment: Internationality in culture is so important for keeping culture and our society vibrant, for finding inspiration and for making living in our rapidly changing world a positive experience.

In addition to trust, however, material security is also necessary. The fact that the theater landscape in Germany has continued to develop, becoming more diverse and also freer, can be observed in cities and communities and, of course, here today in this room as we speak. The cultivation and protection of the theater landscape has always been a natural task for the state. And with regard to some institutions that have national relevance, the BKM naturally also assumes federal responsibility, so that the art created there does not literally lose its firm place in this landscape. This is currently threatening the Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser, for which no federal funding is currently planned for 2026.

But right now, we need infrastructural prospects, a stabilization of venues and festivals, of the independent scene! That is why the Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser and the Fonds Darstellende Künste are working together to offer these cultural policy bodies a strong structure and differentiated funding, including venues such as the HAU here in Berlin and the Mousonturm in Frankfurt. Because, in short: We can do what the police cannot, what the fire department cannot and what hospitals, schools and armies cannot. What is often underestimated is that we can be places of defective, that is, reparable debates, to paraphrase Julia Reuschenbach from this morning. By coming together, we can experience the fact that it’s often not just about results, but about realizing that we are capable of action, and are perhaps even hopeful. 

In cooperation with strong partners, BUNDESTREFFEN25 provided individual groups with closed rooms for in-depth reflection. In the statement published here, Annemie Vanackere summarized the results of the workshop “ON HOLD ON. HOLD ON.” for and with festival and theater directors (organized by the Bündnis Internationaler Produktionshäuser) at the end of the second day of the event.