The Material Infrastructure working group was approved by the plenum in January 2017.
Those of us who work with a fundus and workshops know that these places make our work easier and are inspiring. The Berlin cultural budget supports the workshops of the Kulturwerk, the costume fund of the Kostümkollektiv, studios and rehearsal rooms, among others. However, the current offer only covers part of the infrastructure needs of artists and is limited in various ways: Access is only sector-specific and can be expanded financially and spatially. Artists’ initiatives set up facilities according to their needs under self-exploitative, precarious conditions. The project-based financing of art projects also means an uneconomical expenditure of material, money and energy.
Collections of materials and equipment and workshops have long been operated in theaters using public funds. Shareconomy (using instead of owning) and sustainability are also the goals of Berlin’s current government. Good framework conditions are to be created for artistic work and cross-departmental cultural policy is to be initiated. The independent scene is to be strengthened and self-organized structures supported. A forward-looking development of cultural funding is to be developed in dialog with the artists of the independent scene.
Collections of materials and technology and workshops have long been operated in theaters using public funds. Shareconomy (using instead of owning) and sustainability are also the goals of Berlin’s current government. Good framework conditions are to be created for artistic work and cross-departmental cultural policy is to be initiated. The independent scene is to be strengthened and self-organized structures supported. In dialog with the artists of the independent scene, a forward-looking further development of cultural funding is to be developed.
For this reason, our working group wants to make suggestions to Berlin’s cultural policy and provide advice on how the working environment for independent art and culture projects can be improved across all sectors in Berlin. It is time to reduce the waste of resources for independent artists by pooling materials, tools, technology (e.g.) and know-how and providing these together with workshops, multifunctional workshop space and storage. Access should be granted to all areas of art and culture, including socioculture and education.
The working group is supported by Kunst-Stoffe e.V., Kostümkollektiv e.V. and is open for participation.
- Content, objective, research question:
Improvement of the working environment for independent art production with regard to the pooling of material resources. Promotion and support of the existing infrastructure through the cultural budget. Enabling the expansion of the infrastructure for material. - Timeline:
So far, a concept paper has been developed, which served as a basis for discussions with members of parliament and the Senate administration. Discussions have been held with members of parliament to consider a sensible approach. This draft approach was discussed with the cultural administration and it was decided that the working group would present a rough draft for a study to the cultural administration in spring 2019 in order to determine needs and check feasibility. - mode of operation, working structure:
Members are voluntarily committed representatives of the existing infrastructure for independent art. The meetings take place by appointment at locations where materials and resources for art are pooled. Minutes are always kept. There is a groupspace email address.
Corinna Vosse (Kunst-Stoffe e.V.) and Muriel Nestler (Kostümkollektiv e.V.) are currently working in the working group in close cooperation with Bernhard Kotowski, managing director of the BBK and spokesperson for the Coalition of the Independent Arts. The following people have also been involved in the working group to date: Toni Steinmüller (Förderband e.V.), Alisa Tretau (LAFT space coordinator), Matthias Mrowka (Kulturwerk printing workshop), Friedrich Kuhn (freelance artist).
Contact person: Muriel Nestler
AGMI[at]freieszene.berlin