Taking responsibility: Who represents whom and how?

Starting point one: Legitimacy.

Those who represent shared interests should be legitimized to do so: formally, socially, and even normatively. We have learned that this is a process. We are familiar with this process. We know that this process is an ongoing task. We have also learned that this process can make the work easier. That is because legitimacy brings our work into line with the interests of those we represent. A well-legitimized association, funder, or interest group promotes stability and trust among its members and ultimately also in society.

Starting point two: Participation.

This process of legitimization requires participation. Participation on an equal footing and with transparency, as well as with the appropriate moderation skills for this participatory process. Participation also in privileges, where privileges are understood as the responsibility to include those who are marginalized. Participation in cultural policymaking – for example, through engagement and holding political office. And participation, and this is an explicit request from our workshop, participation in the development and design of federal cultural funding programs in order to gather perspectives from across the country, from all of Germany’s regions.

Starting point three: Resources.

Interest groups, associations, sponsors, etc. need resources; in addition to competent people, interest groups need sufficient funding. We at the BFDK, but not only us, as the workshop has clearly shown, have experienced a rapid growth in the range of tasks we carry out over the last 10 years. We have been able to successfully manage this over the last five years thanks to our structural funding program “Verbindungen fördern.” This model funding program from the Federal Ministry of Culture and Media (BMK) expires at the end of this year. Therefore, an increase in the funding for our offices, which we have thankfully had since 2011, is urgently needed in order to continue to support artists in the scene, politicians, and administrative bodies as a competent contact partner.

Starting point four: Design competence and agility.

On the one hand, associations across the country have to address transformation issues such as digitalization, AI and generational change, while on the other hand, they face rising expectations in terms of social relevance. Organizations are navigating between stability and pressure to change, between internal legitimization processes and external recognition, between financial constraints and new forms of participation. Those that consciously shape these areas of tension, and design their governance flexibly, clearly formulating and positioning their claims, can remain viable in the future, not as rigid institutions, but as learning, living organizations serving their members and society.

Starting point five: Cooperation.

Interest groups are facing significant challenges. They are suffering from a lack of resources and the resulting reduction in their effectiveness. Commitment, continuity, knowledge – and that means expertise, structural knowledge, but also political knowledge – can provide orientation through joint action with like-minded people via cooperation with agile structures, such as networks, alliances and associations. This requires new alliances, including for new ideas and more knowledge.

Starting point six: Structural funding.

The ability to cooperate, which enables networking, is the basis for knowledge transfer, training and visibility. Structural funding remedies imbalances within and between regions, organizations, professional groups, sectors and so on. It enables sustainable development and the professionalization of those working in our scene. Our model project “Verbindungen fördern” has demonstrated this over the past five years. We therefore strongly advocate the creation of appropriate funding instruments and call for a transfer year during which we want to develop a corresponding program line in partnership with the Fonds Darstellende Künste.