Ladies and gentlemen,
On September 19, 2024, Berlin’s Senator for Finance explained the state of Berlin’s budget emergency to its cultural stakeholders and suggested savings of 110 to 150 million euros or more for 2025 and 2026.
For more than 12 years, we as the Coalition of the Independent Scene Berlin have represented the interests of over 40,000 artists in Berlin. In doing so, we have been able to sensitize
structural shortcomings, help shape new funding instruments and thus improve the professional situation of many the professional situation of many players in the independent scene – just to name a few: the Raumbüro Freie Szene, open-discipline funding and work grants.
However, we are now looking with great concern at the budget situation and the massive
announced savings. Cultural institutions and associations have been asked to propose cost-cutting measures. We stand in solidarity with all institutions and will not fight any distribution battles – especially as many actors in the independent scene receive their fees from institutions. However, we would like to point out that the independent performing arts community is already working under often precarious conditions, as its institutions and performers are massively underfunded. Wage increases, inflation compensation or aid for rising rents and energy costs.
The massive increase in the number of applications from the independent scene with the same
funding amounts – and the resulting discrepancy between projects eligible for funding and those actually projects eligible for funding and those actually funded – shows the real need and the blatant
underfunding of Berlin’s independent scene. The freezing of fees and cuts in minimum fees are a step backwards and threaten the existence of many artists and cultural workers existentially. We show solidarity with all artists and their institutions affected by cuts.
artists and their institutions affected by cuts.
Any attempts at cuts will massively weaken the structures that have been built up over the past 12 years. Berlin is in danger of losing its worldwide appeal as a cultural avant-garde. Art and culture only account for 2.5 % of the total budget – it is unacceptable that the smallest department should suffer the most brutal cuts, especially in times of democratic frustration and crumbling social cohesion!
The importance of the independent performing arts community as an internationally unique figurehead of Berlin’s cultural landscape is undisputed in urban society, tourism and the cultural scene. Every euro spent on culture is an investment in Berlin’s social and economic infrastructure!
Independent arts and culture – just like education, research and social affairs – are not an industry
for personal profit maximization, but important pillars of an enlightened, stable and pluralistic society,
pluralistic society. The liberal arts also have a role to play in enabling marginalized communities that do not feel addressed by traditional cultural institutions who do not feel addressed by traditional cultural institutions. Our spaces are essential urban spaces for experimentation, for dialog-oriented and for cultural mediation that strengthens social cohesion. Cuts in this already fragile structure also lead to the erosion of social participation and democratic socialization.
That is why we, as a coalition of the independent performing arts community, are calling together and in solidarity with the with the association of opera houses and concert halls, spoken theater, revue and cabaret cabaret as well as all other institutions and actors in the cultural landscape
in Berlin, call on the Senate to recognize the social and economic the social and economic importance of culture in the upcoming budget discussions and to do justice to its importance for Berlin’s future viability.
We are confident that you will recognize the importance of culture as a location factor for Berlin.
location factor for Berlin. We are confident that you will not drive over the cultural meadow with a lawnmower.
We appeal to you: Don’t cut off Berlin’s culture.
The circle of speakers
of the Coalition of the Independent Scene Berlin