Concert promoter speaks plain text: "The corona aid from the state was enough for just under a month"

After the culture subscription for the Peißenberger Tiefstollenhalle had run successfully for a year, the corona pandemic came in the second year and ended the subscription program before it had started.

Wolfgang Ramadan, who runs the “BrotZeit & Spiele” agency, had to postpone the events that had already been planned because of Corona and the various editions that he has now finally canceled all concerts for this year.

• The cultural industry is particularly suffering from the restrictions caused by the corona pandemic.

• After repeatedly having to postpone events, the organizer, musician and artist Wolfgang Ramadan has now canceled all appointments for this year.

• In an interview with the local newspaper, he now tells how he and his agency fared this year and how the subscription program in Peißenberg should continue in the coming year.

Normally, subscription sales would have already started for the coming year.

What's next with the subscription?

Ramadan: Unfortunately I can't say anything about it.

If I said something, it could be completely out of date after the next phone call.

I always say this one sentence that, in my opinion, gets it right: In times without planning security, all you can say with certainty is that you cannot plan anything.

It is not that we are unprepared or that we have sat idly over the past few months.

We are professionals.

Everything is watertight for the coming year: the appointments with artists and the venues have been agreed, the staff is in place - but I don't know whether the events can take place.

We are working on new concepts to offer artists, technicians and partners a perspective.

But in theory you could have cultural events happening again and again ...

Yes.

At the moment, however, it is unfortunately the case that we are able to sell so few tickets due to the Corona distance rules and restrictions that it is not at all worthwhile for us to hold an event.

At the moment, culture is a premium business.

It can only be organized by those who do it voluntarily or as a hobby, who are subsidized or who can afford the culture because of their gastronomy.

We don't belong to this kind of promoter and would pay heavily on every concert, every cabaret evening.

In addition, there is always the risk that all planning was in vain, because everything bursts at the last second ...

Is that why you canceled all events for this year?

Yes, after we postponed and postponed the dates, we finally decided to cancel everything for this year.

It has been going on since March that you have no events and therefore earn nothing.

How can you hold out?

The support we received from the state and the Free State kept us afloat for exactly one month.

We only have our subscribers to thank for the fact that we still exist.

Many of them have waived a refund for the amount they had already paid for the subscription.

Many have said that I am giving it to you.

The solidarity of the subscribers and ticket buyers has saved us so far.

When you watch other industries receive support, do you feel that politics have let you down?

Yes, we have been and will be completely fooled.

In economic terms, the cultural sector is the third strongest in Germany.

“BrotZeit & Spiele” is a healthy company, otherwise we would not have lasted that long.

Our planes have been on the ground since March, if you will.

But no rescue packages are set up for us.

Why do you think it is important that there is still culture?

With art and culture, life takes on a completely different quality.

To be interested in it means to want to make more of your life.

How will things go on for your company?

Right now we're working around the clock to get even more government support, which is really complicated.

At the same time, we are working flat out to develop models that will also work if the corona requirements remain for a while.

What do these concepts look like?

Because it looks bad in closed rooms with large events in the near future, our motto is now: "more open air".

However, I cannot yet reveal what our ideas and plans look like in concrete terms.

Everything is not yet dry either.

Do your plans for the future also apply to Peißenberg?

I assume that we will continue to offer cultural events in Peißenberg in the future.

Preferably in cooperation with the cultural association.