Federal budget 2026: Joint appeal from the independent performing arts
€2.57 billion culture budget – yet no future for essential structures of the independent performing arts
The culture and media budget allocated to the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), Minister of State Wolfram Weimer, will increase to around €2.57 billion in 2026 – yet essential structures of the independent performing arts remain unsecured.
This poses an existential challenge for key players in the independent performing arts –the driving force behind a vibrant, innovative and internationally-networked cultural scene in Germany.
Key networks and programs in the independent performing arts – including Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser, Bundesnetzwerk flukks+ e. V. (successor organization to flausen+ gGmbH), Netzwerk Freier Theater (NFT) and explore dance – Netzwerk Tanz für junges Publikum – are no longer eligible for federal funding, despite the enormous dedication of the players themselves, the Fonds Darstellende Künste and numerous partners. Komplexx Figurentheater and FESTIVALFRIENDS are also affected, as they – like five other networks – will no longer receive federal funding due to the expiry of the “Verbindungen fördern” (Promoting Connections) program.
In view of these developments, we are appealing to the Minister of State for Culture to assume responsibility and adhere to the objectives of the coalition agreement. This agreement stipulates the stabilization and systematization of cultural funding: The independent arts are to be strengthened and made sustainable.
The complete elimination of central structures contradicts this mission. We are therefore asking the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Wolfram Weimer, to bridge this gap in the 2026 budget and correct it in the 2027 budget – and thereby avert the dismantling of the creative infrastructure of the independent performing arts.
First signatories:
- explore dance
- mit: fabrik (moves) Potsdam
- Fokus Tanz München
- HELLERAU – Europäisches Zentrum der Künste | Dresden
- K3 – Zentrum für Choreographie | Tanzplan Hamburg
- Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm | Frankfurt (a.M.)
- PERFORM[D]ANCE | Stralsund)
- FESTIVALFRIENDS
- Fonds Darstellende Künste
- Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser e.V.
- mit: FFT Düsseldorf
- HAU Hebbel am Ufer | Berlin
- HELLERAU – Europäisches Zentrum der Künste | Dresden
- Kampnagel | Hamburg
- Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm | Frankfurt (a.M.)
- PACT Zollverein | Essen
- tanzhaus nrw | Düsseldorf
- ID_Frankfurt – Independent Dance und Performance e.V.
- Kaserne Basel
- KompleXX Figurentheater
- mit: Deutsches Forum für Figurentheater und Puppenspielkunst | Bochum
- Figurentheater Osnabrück
- Figurentheater-Kolleg | Bochum
- Puppenspielkunst | Berlin
- Kreatives Puppenatelier – Therapeutisches Figurenspiel | Halle (Saale)
- Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Puppenspiel | Erfurt
- Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst – Studiengang
- Figurentheater | Stuttgart
- Sammlung Puppentheater/Schaustellerei des Münchner Stadtmuseums
- Tearticolo | Klotten
- Theater der Nacht | Northeim
- Theater Niridu | Süsel
- UNIMA Deutschland
- Verband Deutscher Puppentheater (VDP)
- Westflügel Leipzig
- MADE.Festival | Hessen | Frankfurt (a.M.)
- NFT Netzwerk Freier Theater
- mit: LICHTHOF Theater | Hamburg
- LOFFT - DAS THEATER | Leipzig
- PATHOS Theater | München
- Produktionshaus NAXOS | Frankfurt (a.M.)
- Schwankhalle | Bremen
- td Berlin
- Theater im Depot | Dortmund
- Theater RAMPE | Stuttgart
- Theaterwerkstatt Pilkentafel | Flensburg
- WUK Theater Quartier| Halle (Saale)
- Zeitraumexit | Mannheim
- flukks+ e.V. (Nachfolgeorganisation von flausen+gGmbH)
- mit 31 Mitgliedstheaterhäuser in 14 Bundesländern)
- tanz weit draußen - Bundesweites Netzwerk für ländliche Räume
- mit: Aktion Tanz e. V. - Bundesverband für Tanz in Bildung und Gesellschaft
- Tanzregion Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- TanzSzene Baden-Württemberg
- tanz.nord
- fabrik Potsdam
- Ponderosa Stolzenhagen
- Szene 2wei Lahr
Tanz- und Theaterwerkstatt Ludwigsburg
- andcompany&co
- Antje Schupp | Director, performer, author
- Ariel Efraim Ashbel and friends
- Arthur Romanowski
- Bernhard Siebert | Research assistant at the HfMDK
- Elisabeth Luft | Author, Cultural journalist
- Fabrice Mazliah | Work of Act
- fachbetrieb rita grechen
- Falk Rößler, Regisseur | Author, member of the FUX theater group
- Fanti Baum | Artist and theorist
- Franziska Werner | Artistic Director Impulse Festival für Performance, Theater & Tanz
- Prof. Florian Feisel | FIGURATIVE THEATER degree program at HMDK Stuttgart
- Gilda Rebello | multidisciplinary artist
- Gob Squad Arts Collective
- Heinrich Horwitz
- Hofmann&Lindholm
- [in]operabilities
- It’s The Real Thing - Basler Dokumentartage
- JAJAJA*
- Prof. Julika Mayer | FIGURATIVE THEATER degree program at HMDK Stuttgart
- machina eX
- Marcel Jacqueline Gisdol | actor*actress
- Marcel Schwald | theater-making
- Marina Rengel Lucena | Stage and costume designer
- Marion Tamme de Aquista
- Matthias Schönijahn | freelance director, artist
- Maximilian Zahn | Dramaturg
- Dr. Philipp Schulte | theater studies scholar
- Pinsker+Bernhardt
- Ruth Rosenfeld | actress
- Prof. Dr. Sandra Noeth | Universität der Künste Berlin, curator
- She She Pop - Performance Kollektiv
- Prof. Stephanie Rinke | FIGURATIVE THEATER degree program at HMDK Stuttgart
- Tanja Krone
Other supporters of this appeal are cordially invited to add their signatures by contacting email hidden; JavaScript is required zu melden.
Review
Culture budget 2026: Massive losses for the independent performing arts
The 2026 federal budget provides for an estimated €8.59 million in funding for the Fonds Darstellende Künste (2025: €9.18 million). The Fonds expressly thanks the committed cultural and budgetary politicians of the governing parties for this important signal of stabilization.
At the same time, the independent performing arts nationwide are facing a cultural policy turning point: despite a record budget of €2.57 billion in the cultural sector, central networks and structurally effective projects are being completely cut from federal funding. Those affected include the Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser, the federal network flausen+/flukks+, the Netzwerk Freier Theater (NFT), and genre-specific projects such as “explore dance,” “kompleXX Figurentheater,” and “FestivalFriends.” They all do indispensable work for artistic innovation, young talent, production, and international visibility.
Holger Bergmann, Managing Director of the Fonds Darstellende Künste:
“As promoters of the nationwide independent performing arts, we see it as our responsibility more than ever to work together with the federal states to support relevant artists and structures and to ensure the diversity of independent production in dance, theater, and performance—despite limited resources.”
Amelie Deuflhard, board member:
“The complete elimination of funding for nationally important networks is a step backward in cultural policy. This applies once again to the elimination of the Alliance of International Production Houses, which will have serious consequences: a weakening of artistic innovation and national and international appeal.”
The coalition agreement stipulated a “systematization of cultural funding” as well as the strengthening of the independent arts. The record budget for 2026 has not yet fulfilled this promise. Instead of structural strengthening, there is a threat of losing central infrastructure with long-term consequences for cultural diversity, innovative strength, and democratic participation.
The Fonds Darstellende Künste is thus faced with the task of continuing to secure nationally relevant structures and funding instruments with limited resources. Without a change in political course, this will become increasingly impossible. In order for the agreed strengthening of the independent arts to become a reality, the Fonds Darstellende Künste appeals to the Minister of State for Culture and the Media and requests an adjustment in the budget implementation.
Only reliable funding can ensure the diversity and innovative strength of the independent performing arts in Germany.