Cuts in the state budget 2025

An overview of voices and statements - a chronicle

With its draft budget for 2025, the federal government was planning massive cuts in the field of the independent performing arts for the coming year: the six federal cultural funds - including the Fonds Darstellende Künste - were to make with 50% of their budgets. The Alliance of International Production Houses, which unites seven anchor institutions of the independent performing arts, was on the brink of collapse. Other projects, for example in dance, were also facing cuts or even elimination.

Update January 2025: The fund will receive further funding from the budget of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media for the funding year 2025. A total of 7.6 million euros is available for the promotion of the independent performing arts - a strong signal in challenging times. More information coming soon!

Freie Szene startet Petition

  • Logo change.org

    Under the title “Saving on the independent arts costs too much!”, artists and actors from the independent scene throughout Germany have initiated a public petition - an appeal to the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media to correct the budget cuts.

    Sign now.

  • Dark stage area. View from the audience onto the stage. Heinrich Horwitz stands at the lectern.  Behind him a projection with the inscription: Saving on the liberal arts costs too much. © Still Mitschnitt

    Press conference

    Over 33,000 people have signed the petition “Saving on independent art costs too much”. Signatory artists invited to a press conference at HAU Hebbel am Ufer on September 2, 2024. The recording of the event is available here.

  • © 3sat Kulturzeit

    List of signatures handed over

    The list of signatures was handed over to the Minister of State for Culture on September 11 - parallel to the first sessions of the Bundestag after the summer break. In her speech, Claudia Roth emphasized the importance of the liberal arts and appealed to parliament for support in the necessary correction of the budget. (23:19)

Overview: Statements

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

    In their joint statement of July 18, 2024, the six federal cultural funds call on the Federal Government Commissioner and the coalition parties to urgently correct the draft budget.

  • Graphic with the words "Consequences of the cuts"

    In its press release dated August 1, 2024, the Fonds Darstellende Künste informs about the consequences of the drastic budget cuts. An outlook.

  • On July 19, 2024, the directors of the institutions united in the Alliance of International Production Houses demanded that the cabinet decision be corrected.

Video-Statement

In a video statement, Holger Bergmann, Managing Director of the Fonds Darstellende Künste, gives an outlook on the consequences for the independent performing arts and makes an appeal to the Federal Government and the Minister of State for Culture.

Media Response

  • ZEIT Online: „So, Claudia, streng dich an und kämpf weiter!"

    Claudia Roth in conversation with Raoul Löbbert and Dirk Petz:

    “The funds that we have promised the cultural institutions or that they have already received are safe. We also want to provide even greater support for the federal cultural funds and the international production houses and thus for the independent scene as part of the provisional budget management by setting priorities.”

    19.12.2024

  • Der Theaterpodcast: „Mit dem Rasenmäher durchs Theater"

    In the "Theaterpodcast" by Deutschlandfunk Kultur and nachtkritik: In 2025, there will be less money for culture in many places. Massive cuts are being made not only at federal, but also at state and municipal level. In conversation with Susanne Burkhardt and Elena Philipp, theater makers Heinrich Horwitz and Carena Schlewitt explain what this means for the theater scene.

  • Deutschlandfunk Kultur: „Mehr Geld für Kultur: Warum die Kulturszene trotzdem rebelliert"

    Despite tight budgets, more money has been earmarked for cultural funding in the 2025 federal budget than this year. Nevertheless, there is resistance to the cultural budget in the cultural scene. This is because there are still to be massive cuts in some areas.

    08.10.2024

  • Logo Welt

    Welt/dpa: Kulturräte: „Keine Mittelkürzungen für freie Szene"

    “Cultural professionals in the federal states are worried: massive cuts are planned for 2025. According to the cultural councils, this would have drastic consequences for the independent scene.”

    25.09.2024

  • Logo Deutschlandfunk

    Deutschlandfunk Kultur: „Schuss in die Kniekehle“ – Existenzängste der Freien Szene am Beispiel Sachsen

    “[...] the funding budgets that we have at municipal and state level are never so high that they could do without federal funding.”

    16.09.2024

  • Logo Süddeutsche Zeitung

    Süddeutsche Zeitung: „Wer hat, dem wird gegeben"

    “The federal cultural budget is set to grow slightly in 2025, but it is mainly the large institutions that will receive more money. The independent scene is protesting - because Claudia Roth wanted to support them.”

    12.09.2024

  • 3sat Kulturzeit: „Petition gegen Kultur-Kürzungen"

    “A petition with over 36,000 signatures from the arts and culture scene arrives in the mailbox of the Minister of State for Culture. The signatories denounce the cuts in the cultural sector planned in the federal budget, as these primarily affect the independent arts scene.” (23:19)
     

    11.09.2024

  • F.A.Z.: „Claudia Roths unzuverlässige Kulturpolitik"

    “With the cuts to the independent arts scene, the Greens are breaking their own coalition agreement. There is not only a chorus of grumbling, but also highly qualified protest against it.”

    11.09.2024

  • 3sat Kulturzeit

    “Large institutions such as the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and Deutsche Welle are to receive more money. The six federal cultural funds, on the other hand, which support independent projects, will only receive around half the funding next year compared to this year.” (06:57)

    05.09.2024

  • Logo taz

    taz: „Zerstörung der Kultur geht schnell"

    “Artists from the independent scene came together in Berlin to protest against cuts. They demanded a correction to the 2025 federal budget.”

    04.09.2024

  • Tagesspiegel: "Kritik an Claudia Roths Sparplänen: Die Freie Szene protestiert"

    “There is actually more money in the 2025 cultural budget, but of all things, funding for the independent scene is to be severely cut. Resistance is now forming.”

    03.09.2024

  • Logo Deutschlandfunk

    Deutschlandfunk Kultur: „Freie Szene besorgt über drohende Kürzungen der Kulturstaatsministerin"

    “This morning at the HAU Theater Hebbel am Ufer in Berlin, actors, directors, dancers and performers had drastic words to say about the planned cuts.”

    02.09.2024

  • Logo radio3 des rbb

    rbb Radio3: „Freie Kulturszene organisiert sich gegen Kürzungen"

    “Over 30,000 cultural professionals have already signed a petition against these cuts. And today there was a press conference at Hebbel am Ufer / HAU with many independent performers in the performing arts.”

    02.09.2024

  • Berliner Zeitung: „HAU Berlin: Claudia Roths Haushaltsentwurf bringt die deutsche Tanzszene in Sorge"

    “In Roth's draft budget for 2025, this funding [for the Alliance of International Production Houses] has been cut without replacement. [...] The Performing Arts Fund (from which artists themselves bring funds to the theaters) is also drastically reduced in Roth's draft budget.”

    01.09.2024

  • tagesschau: „Kürzungen im Bundeshaushalt: Frankfurter Mousonturm soll 600.000 Euro weniger bekommen"

    “In the plans for the 2025 federal budget, the budget of the Federal Cultural Fund, divided into individual pots for literature, music, theater and socioculture, for example, is almost halved from 32 million to 18 million euros.”

    28.08.2024

  • Hamburger Abendblatt: „Hiobsbotschaft: Freie Kunstszene von massiven Kürzungen bedroht"

    “The halving of funding from the Fonds Darstellende Künste is also a slap in the face [...]. 10.3 million euros had been agreed with the federal government. And two months later, the money has suddenly been halved. From Deuflhard's point of view, this is 'completely incomprehensible."

    14.08.2024

  • Logo Deutschlandfunk

    Deutschlandfunk: „Künstler fürchten um ihre Existenz"

    “More than 23,000 people have already signed a petition. They are protesting against federal cuts to the independent arts scene. The situation there is already precarious, says Heinrich Horwitz. Cuts would also have consequences for audiences.” Interview with Herinrich Horwitz

    09.08.2024

  • Logo taz

    taz: „Das Stroh, das wir uns jetzt leisten müssen"

    “The performing arts are being affected by the infrastructure, the artists' professional existence. Audiences will get to see less and cheaper produced theater. And that is particularly sad. Even during the pandemic, independent theater has succeeded in attracting new audiences by listening and experimenting[...]”

    09.08.2024

  • Logo nachtkritik

    nachtkritik: "Federal cultural funds protest against cuts"

    "In a joint statement, the six federal cultural funds are opposing the threat of "massive cuts" for the 2025 financial year. The criticism relates to the draft federal budget for 2025."

    22.07.2024

  • Rheinische Post: „Claudia Roth steht in der Kritik – auch Düsseldorf von Entscheidung betroffen"

    "Following the announced end of funding for the independent dance and theater scene, the Kulturrat and the Fonds Darstellender Künste have criticized Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth. The fund also points to a contradictory statement made by Roth."

    06.08.2024

  • Logo taz

    taz: „Hoping for a rethink“

    "The federal government is planning cuts in the cultural sector for 2025, and international production houses such as Kampnagel and Hellerau see their work jeopardized as a result."

    03.08.2024

  • der Freitag: „Claudia Roths Performance als Kulturstaatsministerin: Willkommen im Kasperltheater"

    “Claudia Roth's mishaps as Minister of State for Culture continue - whether it's the Bayreuth Festival, the Berlinale or a Taylor Swift concert: she is finally turning the office into a political tabloid [...] The independent scene has also lost confidence in her former advocate.”

    01.08.2024

  • Logo Deutschlandfunk

    Deutschlandfunk: Federal budget 2025 - Federal cultural funds fear massive cuts

    "There is a difference between saving and halving [...]. That jeopardizes the very departure we wanted to make as an investment in the future." Karin Lingl in conversation with Michael Köhler.

    27.07.2024

  • Logo Frankfurter Rundschau

    Frankfurter Rundschau: Resistance to cuts

    "Despite an increasing federal cultural budget, the independent scene is to make do with less money."

    25.07.2024

  • Logo Süddeutsche Zeitung

    Süddeutsche Zeitung: The yo-yo effect

    "The budget of Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth is increasing. However, individual items are being cut significantly. There is now resistance to this."

    24.07.2024

  • Logo Spiegel

    SPIEGEL: Federal Cultural Funds criticize Claudia Roth

    "The traffic light government struggled for a long time to come up with a draft budget. The state cultural funds are dissatisfied with the result, complaining about "massive cuts" and the Commissioner for Culture and the Media."

    23.07.2024

  • Logo radio3 des rbb

    Massive cuts in funding for the independent cultural scene

    An interview with Karin Lingl, Managing Director of the Stiftung Kunstfonds and spokesperson for the AG Bundeskulturfonds.

    24.07.2024