The Spaces Working Group (AK Räume) of the Coalition of Berlin’s Independent Scene was founded by the plenum in October 2014.
The working group is a working platform for experts from the performing and visual arts, dance, music, literature and the network of independent Berlin project spaces and initiatives on issues relating to securing and expanding the spatial infrastructure for artistic work (SARIKA).
In addition to the professionally working space coordinators of the art disciplines and the network as well as the studio representative (as part of the studio program and office that has existed since 1993), it includes advisory experts from Berlin’s independent scene. It coordinates needs and plans with the sectors and the independent scene.
The aim is to work closely with the Senate Department for Culture and Europe, GSE gGmbH (Gesellschaft für Stadtentwicklung) and other administrations, districts and real estate service providers, among others, to develop new affordable workspaces and locations for Berlin’s diverse independent cultural scene in the short, medium and long term, to expand the range of these and to maintain existing ones.
Supported by funding from the Senate with investment and consumption funds, low-cost – as subsidized – spaces can be advertised at the end of the process and awarded to artists through a jury process. In other sector-specific processes in which work or rehearsal spaces are to be rented at short notice, cooperation is sought with operators who can guarantee short-term rental operations.
The inventory optimization programme is a further building block for improving the rehearsal room and rental situation and works by awarding rental subsidies for the use of existing workspaces. Operators of facilities that rent out rehearsal spaces to freelance artists were able to apply in the first round of the process at the end of 2016. The funding benefits both the operators and the artists. Rehearsal rooms of 80 square meters or more can be rented out to artists at more favorable conditions.
Spokespersons of the AK Räume:
Matthias Mayer
Meinrad Kneer
Participants in the working group:
Christoff Bleidt, Förderband e.V. Kulturinitiative Berlin / Theaterhaus Berlin Mitte
Daniel Brunet, English Theatre Berlin
Chris Benedict, Matthias Mayer, Netzwerk freier Berliner Projekträume und -initiativen e.V.
Anja Goette, goette@tanzbuero-berlin.de
Eric Schumacher, Netzwerk freie Literaturszene Berlin e.V. / KOOK e.V.
Bernhard Kotowski, Kulturwerk of the bbk berlin, studio office
Meinrad Kneer DACH/Music
Nicole Otte, TAK Theater im Aufbau Haus / LAFT Berlin – Landesverband freie darstellende Künste Berlin e.V.
Rocco Zühlke, LAFT Berlin – Landesverband freie darstellende Künste Berlin
Room coordinators:
Anja Goette (dance)
Meinrad Kneer (music)
Matthias Mayer (project spaces and initiatives)
Eric Schumacher (literature)
Rocco Zühlke (Performing Arts)
Studio representative for Berlin/Head of the studio office at the Kulturwerk of the bbk berlin:
Martin Schwegmann
Previous participants of the AK Räume:
Moritz Majce, artist
Tiny Domingos, Network of independent Berlin project spaces and initiatives e.V.
Simone Willeit, Tanzbüro Berlin
Marie Henrion, Tanzbüro Berlin
Patrick Klingenschmitt, Initiative Neue Musik Berlin e.V. / DACH/Music
Florian Schmidt, studio representative of the Kulturwerk des bbk berlin
Martin Jankowski, Berliner Literarische Aktion e.V. / Netzwerk freie Literaturszene Berlin e.V.
Previous room coordinators:
Sonja Augart, ZTB e.V. / Tanzbüro Berlin
Martin Jankowski (Literature)