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

Since July, artists and art professionals have been conducting research in 64 Artist Labs on issues related to the public sphere of the liberal performing arts. At the second Bundesweites 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: Lab participants met artists*, theatergoers* and experts* from all over the republic. Impulse lectures, practical workshops, in-depth talks on stage and in the stream, heated debates in thematic working groups, a show program every evening and party formats negotiated a wide range of issues: Who is watching? Who is participating? Who is (still) missing? Artistic works that reflect the role of the spectators round off the BA.L.L. program and opened up an echo chamber. With: Rimini Protokoll, raumlaborberlin, Simone Aughterloney, Queereeoké and many more.

  • 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

    Program

    The complete program of the two-day event in the overview

  • Tile with colorful diamonds in the background. Overlaid with an icon with two hands to mark translation into German Sign Language.

    Willkommen in Deutscher Gebärdensprache

    All important information about the B.A.L.L. in German Sign Language.

B.A.L.L. 2023 Highlights

Video with audio description in German.

Impressions from the B.A.L.L. 2023

A woman stands on a theater stage at the lectern. © Alexandra Polina
A woman and two men to her left stand on a stage. The woman and the man in the middle speak into a microphone. © Alexandra Polina
Ten people sit lined up on a stage. They hold slips of paper in their hands. A Black woman speaks into a microphone. There are smiles on many faces. © Alexandra Polina
In the Kampnagel foyer there is a podium with seating. At this so-called island, people sit in a circle and discuss. © Alexandra Polina
Four people are sitting on a stage in a panel discussion. On the right, a man in a suit speaking into a microphone. To his left, a woman, a man and another woman listen intently. © Alexandra Polina
On a stage, several round tables are arranged, at which people are sitting, talking to each other. In the background hangs a projection screen on which "Table Talks" is written. © Alexandra Polina
Three people sit on a stage. In front of them is a small table with water bottles. A woman sits in the middle. She speaks into a microphone. The man on the left is wearing headphones and facing her. The man on the right is looking at the woman in the middle. © Alexandra Polina
People sit in a heated outdoor pool and talk to each other. One person is holding a stretched umbrella. It is evening and dark. Steam from the warm water hangs in the air. © Alexandra Polina
In a room, tables, sofas and chairs are distributed in a cozy atmosphere. People with FFP2 masks and sufficient distance sit everywhere and talk to each other. The walls are yellow and pink. There are two self-made palm trees illuminated with fairy lights. © Alexandra Polina
Large round tables are spread out in a darkly lit room. The tables are more brightly lit. At them sit people who are engrossed in conversation. © Alexandra Polina
Six people sit lined up on a stage in a panel discussion. Two of them hold microphones in their hands. Behind them are large houseplants. © Alexandra Polina
In a large room with light walls and a dark floor, many people sit in a circle. In the middle of the circle is a dark table on which water bottles and colorful pieces of paper are lying. A person with blue hair is speaking. © Alexandra Polina
In a room with a dance floor, many people in workout clothes move on the floor. © Alexandra Polina
Five people sit on a stage in a podium situation. © Alexandra Polina
A woman with Down syndrome sits on a chair and speaks into a microphone. © Alexandra Polina
There are many people in the foyer at Kampnagel. People are standing at laptops at a counter. Above them hangs a sign with the inscription "Info / Check-In. © Alexandra Polina
Many people are sitting in the auditorium. There is laughter. © Alexandra Polina
From the upper rows of the audience, you can see an empty stage. The following lettering is stuck to the black stage with white tape: " Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome! Fremder, entranger, stranger! Bleibe, reste, stay!" © Alexandra Polina
On a podium in the Kampnagel foyer are people, engrossed in conversation. On a pillar hang signs showing the names of different labs. © Alexandra Polina
On the left, a man with a full beard and medium-length hair in a dark suit holding a microphone and speaking. On the right, a person with short blond hair and scarf giving applause. © Alexandra Polina
In an interior room, many people are standing with an opened umbrella in their hands. © Alexandra Polina
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
On the forecourt of Kampnagel, many people stand with stretched umbrellas in their hands. © Alexandra Polina
A woman with shoulder-length brown hair stands at a lectern and gives a speech. © Alexandra Polina
Many young queer people celebrate in a boisterous mood. © Alexandra Polina
A singing person with a microphone bends backwards with his back to the audience. To the right is a group of people cheering the person on in a supportive manner and extending their hands to the person. © Alexandra Polina

On Demand: Friday 20.10.2023

  • Opening

    After the speech "The Theater of Blanks" by Sivan Ben Yishai, Holger Bergmann and Amelie Deuflhard open the B.A.L.L..

    The Labs committee and the curation team will provide insights into the Labs and the program of the two-day event.

  • Publika, Performance und Politik - Neue Zugänge, neue Gemeinschaften?

    Keynote speeches by Tucké Royale, Scottee, Katharina Warda followed by a Q&A moderated by Fabian Lettow and Mirjam Schmuck (kainkollektiv)

On Demand: Saturday, 21.10.2023 from K6

  • Transformationen von Publika und Kulturlandschaft: Kulturpolitisches Labor

    After an opening address by Jürgen Dusel (Federal Government Commissioner for Matters relating to People with Disabilities), cultural policy representatives from federal, state and local politics will discuss the current situation regarding audience development and funding opportunities in three panels.

  • Class matters: Wie soziale Herkunft beeinflusst, wer ins Theater kommt

    Panel with Rhiannon White (Head of Common Wealth), Nenad Čupić (coach, anti-racism and empowerment trainer) & Daniel Wetzel (Rimini Protokoll). Moderation: Vanessa Vu (journalist).

  • Bühnenräume und ihre Publika im Wandel - Situationen, Thesen, Strategien

    1. Panel with: Wagner Carvalho, Anna Wagner, Hendrik Frobel, Janina Benduski (moderation)

    2. Panel with: Matthias Pees, Annemie Vanackere, Viola Hasselberg, Tobi Müller (moderation)

  • Strategien und Positionen gegen rechte Backlashs

    1. Part with: Enrico Casagrande & Daniela Nicoló (Motus), Gin Müller

    2. Part with: Anica Happich, Steffen Klewar, Hamid Mohseni, Marietheres Jesse, Frauke Wetzel, Anne Schneider (moderation)

  • Reflexion und Ausblick

    Lecture by Asal Dardan and "Shield & Shine" campaign by DIE VIELEN

64 Bundesweite Artist Labs: Post-pandemic and audiences

As part of its evaluation NEUSTART-KULTUR- funding programs, the Fonds Darstellende Künste initiated a total of 64 Artist Labs this spring based on an open call process, which have been conducted throughout Germany between July 1, 2023 and October 31, 2023.In self-responsible, exchange-based lab formats, artists of all genres and disciplines addressed questions of audience acquisition and retention with reference to empirical values before, during and after the pandemic. This artistic evaluation discusseed an immensely broad range of topics, negotiating aspects of sustainability, diversity, mobility, and digitality as well as digging deep into specific target groups such as queer and BIPoC communities or genres such as performances for young audiences and theater in public spaces. How must political theater practice be aligned along current social issues? How can postcolonial perspectives be made accessible to children and young people? And what potential for dialogue do the performing arts offer in times of overall social fragmentation?

  • Picture shows a group of people sitting at a table talking at the event © Dorothea Tuch

    Overview

    Which artists and groups have been commissioned by the Fund with nationwide Artist Labs? An overview of all Labs can be found here.

  • A group of people stand lined up around a large work table with documents and colored pieces of paper at the zine workshop. One of them reaches for a sheet. © Dorothea Tuch

    Documentation

    What did the individual labs research? What were their questions and what are the results of their labs? The labs will be presenting themselves here shortly.

  • The picture shows four people sitting next to each other on stage. They are discussing with each other as part of a panel discussion. © Dorothea Tuch

    Magazin

    Various cultural journalists have visited the nationwide Artist Labs and interviewed them about their strategies around the topic of audience. The articles are published in the magazine.

An event of the Fonds Darstellende Künste in cooperation with Kampnagel Hamburg and the 64 Nationwide Artist Labs. Supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media within the framework of NEUSTART KULTUR.

Program: Julian Kamphausen, Uta Lambertz, Susanne Schuster | Set design: Philine Rinnert | Production management: krass & krasser - Franziska Bald, Ann-Kristin Meivers, Luca Sonnen | Technical direction: Andreas Harder | Editing: Elisabeth Wellershaus

Project management: Björn Frers, Steffen Klewar | Project coordination: Anna Kondring | Communication: Anne John, Carolin Meyer

B.A.L.L. Program curation

Board to select the labs

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