Securing the free art scene in times of Corona

ZTB e.V., Letter, March 15, 2020

Dear Mr Lederer, dear Mr Wöhlert, dear Ms Köhncke,

Let us express our gratitude for your public acknowledgement of the difficult situation artists and cultural workers are facing at the moment.

The cancellation of planned fees for artists of all disciplines will inevitably result in the loss of vital sources of income. This applies to many dance artists and makers based in Berlin who are currently struggling due to the wave of cancellations or indefinite postponements of work within Germany and abroad. The majority of these people do not have financial reserves that can enable them to make ends meet in the coming months. In order to secure the cultural life of the city not only during but also after the crisis, we ask you to act quickly. Please keep in mind the needs and working conditions of artists already in precarious jobs when taking measures to cushion the consequences of the Corona pandemic!

It is urgently necessary to set up an emergency fund for freelance artists of all disciplines, as well as ensuring current project funds can still be accessed readily and in an as unbureaucratic manner as possible, that funding guidelines are adapted as required, payment and accounting modalities are amended to correspond to the current situation.

The emergency fund should cover all lost funds that result from cancellations of projects and performances (both at home and abroad); it should be managed in an unbureaucratic way and payouts from it should be made as non-repayable emergency payments. This ensures the fund is tailored to the specific situation and dependencies of freelance artists and workers in associated professional fields (such as freelance technicians, production managers, dramaturges, etc.).

Dealing with current project-oriented funds:

– Payment of approved funding in full, regardless of planned rehearsals and performances; This has to include rehearsal room rental costs, as otherwise the space-providers would go into insolvency

– Advance payment of project funds to mitigate foreseeable cases of hardship (see e.g. current press release 13.03.2020, Department of Culture Frankfurt >Weblink to press release Department of Culture Frankfurt)
– Reduction of number of compulsory performances in order to be able to make up for lost performances
– Acknowledgement of costs incurred due to cancellations
– Allowance for uncomplicated postponements into the next year
– Coverage of additional costs arising from the postponement of projects
We hope to get through the difficult situation together.

With kind regards,

Cilgia Gadola, Barbara Greiner, Jenny Haack, Moritz Majce, Kareth Schaffer, Kasia Wolinska

The Board of Zeitgenössischer Tanz Berlin e. V.

ZTB Dance Party

14th December 2019

It is time for the DANCE Party! With the great excitement we invite you to join us at the end of our #dance4millions campaign. We will share the final results of the last months’ campaign and announce what’s new for the 2020.
But most of all, we just want to hang out, drink and dance. All types of party goers and non-party goers are welcome. Come say ‘hi’, stay for a toast, dance till we close.
Free entry.

Where: Kule, Auguststr.10, 10117 Berlin

7pm – 8.30pm warm-up set by Ollyollyoxfordfreak
9pm – 11pm open mic
11pm – 1am party dj set
+ VJing by Andreas Thorstensson
( more info coming soon)

FUM#5 with ZTB

FUM#5 with ZTB  – Follow Up Monthly – hosted by Jeremy Wade

This time the choreographer Jeremy Wade invited us to his house.
We discuss how to reach as many people as possible with a campaign, what forms of creative protest there are and who we want to reach with our cause.
Please register until Sunday at: vorstand@ztberlin.de
The number of participants is limited due to lack of space. With the registration you will get the exact location.

When: Tue, 29.10.2019, 7 pm

MeToo Workshop – AUG 18,2019

ztb presents:

#MeToo for dance professionals in Berlin: a workshop

The #MeToo movement has encouraged important shifts in discourses surrounding sexual harassment in the dance field, but relatively little has been discussed in the context of the independent Berlin scene. In this 3-hour workshop, Ilse Ghekiere (BE, Engagement Arts) and Robyn Morg Doty (USA/DE, Whistle While You Work) will discuss their experiences in establishing tools for dance professionals dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace. On the basis of small-group discussions of case studies, participants will learn what avenues of support are available for dance professionals working in Berlin. Collectively, we will discuss what blind spots still exist and how they can be remedied.

When: August 18, 2019, 10 am – 1 pm
Where: Uferstudio 6

The workshop will be held free of charge.
Places in the workshop are limited to 20, to secure your place please register by sending an email to vorstand@ztberlin.de.

For more information on Ilse’s work, see www.engagementarts.be
For more information on Robyn’s work with Whistle While You Work, see www.nobody100.com

This workshop is a collaboration with Tanz im August, who also will have Ilse and Robyn as guests for a talk:
16.8., 19:00 | #MeToo – to be continued Gäste: Frances Chiaverini & Robyn Doty (Whistle While You Work), Ilse Ghekiere (Engagement Arts) | Moderation: Brenda Dixon-Gottschild | Bibliothek im August | Englisch

on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/metoo-workshop_ztb/

FUM with ZTB #2

FUM* with ZTB #2
30th July 2019, 7 pm.

Where: Café Pförtner, Uferstr. 8, 13357 Berlin

Dear members, dear interested people,
our second FUM* with ZTB is just around the corner.
This meeting is all about PROTEST!
We are angry and disappointed about the results of the draft budget for 2020/21 after this intensive year with the Round Table Dance!
Starting in August, we are preparing a campaign with several actions to show our frustration and bring it to the public. With you we would like to develop creative resistance and discuss together. Come in large numbers to the bus of the Cafe Pförtner in Wedding!

* Follow up monthly – FUM with ZTB takes place every last Tuesday of the month. Follow up dates: 27.08.2019, 24.09.2019