Club- vs. Hochkultur

Your safe space is not my safe space!

After the pandemic, it appears that nightclubs found it easier to win back their audience in comparison to theaters. Furthermore, we've noticed a rising trend since the end of the pandemic, which involves integrating performance art and professional dancers into various parties and club events. Based on these observations, we are investigating the following subject matters:

Venturing beyond the institution: Should performing artists explore beyond the boundaries of traditional theater institutions? What potential do new spaces, including the possibility of reaching new audiences, hold for the performing artist? How can theater institutions attract party-goers?

(Un)written Rules: What factors contribute to theater institutions being perceived as elitist and exclusive, and can these factors be transformed? Which performance formats challenge the informal established norms of these institutions?

The age of dramaturgical terminology is over: How can we improve our audience outreach?

"Safe(r) Spaces": Some clubs, festivals and social spaces are pioneering new strategies by implementing awareness teams. They foster a mutual attentiveness and care during festivities and gatherings, with an emphasis on creating a safe(r) environment for (intersectionally) marginalized individuals. Could this concept be adapted to the theater sector, by creating a new foundation for a broader audience inclusivity?

Marga Alfeirão, Mariana Benengue, Liesel Burisch, Anissa Carrington, Anna von Glasenapp, Maya, Ifé de Oliveira, Zuréh Jaramillo Rima, Joyce Junada Esi, Gifty Lartey, One Mother, Elisabeth Mtasa, Jesseline Preach & Neda Sanai