The Kulturforum Hamburg, a network of major cultural institutions and associations in Hamburg dedicated to cultural policy issues and the visibility of the city’s diverse cultural landscape, invites you to a panel discussion:
Theatre, dance, performance, contemporary circus – the independent performing arts shape Hamburg’s cultural landscape far beyond its major institutions. Independent ensembles, collectives, and solo artists develop new artistic forms, experiment with aesthetics, and engage with social issues, often in areas where established structures do not yet exist.
But what exactly does “independent” mean in this context? How do these artists and organizations work? What makes their practice distinctive? And what place does the city provide for them?
The evening is inspired by the cultural policy campaign Art Needs Space launched by the Hamburg Association of Independent Performing Arts. The campaign highlights a challenge familiar to many within the sector: affordable rehearsal and workspaces are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive.
Since mid-2025, Hamburg’s Rehearsal Space Fund, a relatively new funding instrument, has helped secure workspaces and make rehearsal venues more affordable. But what will happen to the fund in light of the current budget constraints? Why are physical spaces so essential for artistic work? And what kinds of spaces are needed beyond the physical?
This panel discussion aims to make Hamburg’s independent performing arts sector more visible and foster dialogue about its role in the city. Particular attention will be given to its distinctive working methods in comparison to major institutions such as the Thalia Theater, Schauspielhaus, Hamburg Ballet, and the State Opera.
The discussion will focus on the conditions that independent artists need in order to work sustainably and effectively, as well as on the question of space—both in a physical sense and in terms of the political and social freedom necessary for this artistic work to thrive.
Panelists:
Amelie Deuflhard (Artistic Director / General Director of Kampnagel), Ulrike Steffel (Advisor for Independent Performing Arts at the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media), together with Fernanda Ortiz, Franziska Jakobi, and Jens Dietrich (independent artists and board members of the Hamburg Association for Independent Performing Arts), and Dr. Julika Mücke (Managing Director of the Network Office of the Hamburg Association for Independent Performing Arts)
Moderator: Florian Zinnecker (Editor-in-Chief, ZEIT.de)
The Kulturforum Hamburg, a network of major cultural institutions and associations in Hamburg dedicated to cultural policy issues and the visibility of the city’s diverse cultural landscape, invites you to a panel discussion:
Theatre, dance, performance, contemporary circus – the independent performing arts shape Hamburg’s cultural landscape far beyond its major institutions. Independent ensembles, collectives, and solo artists develop new artistic forms, experiment with aesthetics, and engage with social issues, often in areas where established structures do not yet exist.
But what exactly does “independent” mean in this context? How do these artists and organizations work? What makes their practice distinctive? And what place does the city provide for them?
The evening is inspired by the cultural policy campaign Art Needs Space launched by the Hamburg Association of Independent Performing Arts. The campaign highlights a challenge familiar to many within the sector: affordable rehearsal and workspaces are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive.
Since mid-2025, Hamburg’s Rehearsal Space Fund, a relatively new funding instrument, has helped secure workspaces and make rehearsal venues more affordable. But what will happen to the fund in light of the current budget constraints? Why are physical spaces so essential for artistic work? And what kinds of spaces are needed beyond the physical?
This panel discussion aims to make Hamburg’s independent performing arts sector more visible and foster dialogue about its role in the city. Particular attention will be given to its distinctive working methods in comparison to major institutions such as the Thalia Theater, Schauspielhaus, Hamburg Ballet, and the State Opera.
The discussion will focus on the conditions that independent artists need in order to work sustainably and effectively, as well as on the question of space—both in a physical sense and in terms of the political and social freedom necessary for this artistic work to thrive.
Panelists:
Amelie Deuflhard (Artistic Director / General Director of Kampnagel), Ulrike Steffel (Advisor for Independent Performing Arts at the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media), together with Fernanda Ortiz, Franziska Jakobi, and Jens Dietrich (independent artists and board members of the Hamburg Association for Independent Performing Arts), and Dr. Julika Mücke (Managing Director of the Network Office of the Hamburg Association for Independent Performing Arts)
Moderator: Florian Zinnecker (Editor-in-Chief, ZEIT.de)
