Despite Corona, Bavaria has drawn up a “lead scenario” for the European Football Championship.
Dachau's head of cultural affairs reports in an interview about his astonishment, the precarious situation of the cultural scene - and "absurd processes" in the Free State's politics.
Munich / Dachau - Many branches of industry and people in Bavaria are suffering from the Corona crisis and the necessary protective measures - from retail to gastronomy. Last but not least, the cultural scene has also been hard hit: for many months, silence has lain in concert halls, theaters, cinemas, clubs and galleries. Perhaps the most painful and precarious for many affected: A clear opening perspective is not in sight in Bavaria in the 14th month of the pandemic. Not even for outdoor events.
Friday (April 23) shook the scene again.
In Munich there are now official plans for a European football championship in front of more than 10,000 spectators, and nearby Austria will open culture even for major events in May.
And there is still no plan for the summer between Freilassing and Aschaffenburg.
The development also amazed Tobias Schneider.
The bustling head of the cultural office in Dachau has brought much-noticed events to the small district town - and is still facing a difficult year to plan in 2021. In an interview with
Merkur.de
*, he explains the problems of culture in Bavaria and expresses clear criticism of politics in the Free State, not least of all with a view to previously unfulfilled promises to the cultural workers.
Merkur.de: Mr. Schneider, on Friday the Free State gave its okay for a “lead scenario” for the European Football Championship in Munich - at least 14,500 fans in the stadium will be realistic in a few weeks, they say. As the head of the cultural office in Dachau, 20 kilometers northeast of the Allianz Arena, how did you take the decision?
Tobias Schneider:
With maximum astonishment that the state government is able to approve such a lead scenario for mid-June.
The cultural scene in Bavaria has been asking the state government for weeks in vain for such a lead scenario for outdoor cultural events.
For me, the process is symptomatic of the current approach to art and culture.
The situation has been difficult for cultural workers in Bavaria for months. From your point of view: How could politics now provide a perspective?
With a similar lead scenario for culture that shows what could be possible in the best case in summer, with what maximum visitor capacities and under what general hygiene concept - all of course subject to the development of the pandemic.
The Ministry of Art announced this framework concept weeks ago, but now you can no longer hear or see it.
Austria as an illustrative example for Bavaria's corona policy?
"Culture has a completely different status there in top politics"
In Austria there will be cultural events again for those who have been tested, vaccinated and recovered from May 19 - even in closed rooms. A good concept, or maybe a bit too daring?
The Austrian concept for opening up culture deserves the greatest respect. Germany and Bavaria are still miles away from this. In Austria and many other European countries, culture has a completely different status in top politics than it does in our country. In Germany it is usually simply not mentioned in the perspective considerations of the governments, at press conferences perhaps in a subordinate clause. The visitor capacities made possible by the Austrian government - 1,500 indoors, 3,000 outdoors - are surprisingly generous. But France is also planning something similar outdoors. The organizers in Bavaria would be grateful if a number somewhere between 400 and 1,500 for outdoor events were ever brought into play.
Do you already have concepts in the drawer? Or to be more specific: How can outdoor cultural events be made as safe as possible during pandemic times?
We already have the first concerts with seats and picnic concerts for the Dachau Music Summer in advance. In the absence of specifications from the state government, we are currently assuming the framework conditions that applied in Bavaria last August. With seated distance concerts in the open air, including a test offer and digitized contact tracking, you can offer completely safe summer cultural experiences. Last year we did not have one case of contact follow-up at around 30 Corona-compliant events with a total of several thousand visitors. For me, professionally organized cultural events are the safest place where people can come together at a distance. It would make more strategic sense for the summer to let people go thererisking uncontrollable accumulations in private and public spaces.
Corona in Bavaria: Free State calls for open-air events and fails to frame - "absurd process"
Certainly there have already been some initiatives and contacts with politics. How have the reactions to requests and suggestions been last?
The dilemma is that the essential political decisions on the infection control measures ordinances are only formulated at the highest level. If you're not lucky enough to have a real interest in art and culture, nothing will happen. A few weeks ago the Bavarian state government sent a letter to the municipalities and proclaimed a “Bavarian cultural summer” under the motto “Bavaria is playing”. It calls on the cities to plan open-air events and provide open spaces - but from when and under what conditions Bavaria should and may "play" in summer is not communicated. An absurd process.
Dachau is known nationwide for its “music summer” - last year, among other things, a concert with the internationally celebrated band Khruangbin was canceled. How much does that hurt as an organizer?
Every unusual concert that has been prepared for a long time hurts.
But last year we were able to react quickly and were the first city in Bavaria to organize car concerts * and then also picnic concerts and concerts with seats in July and August.
We were even able to hold our literature festival in October.
In the meantime I have got used to planning and thinking only on the basis of sight.
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Dachau's cultural office director Tobias Schneider at a car concert in the Corona year 2020.
© mik
Corona crisis in Bavaria: cultural workers in “financial” and “psychological distress” - complete lack of prospects
As an employee of a public institution, you are still in a comparatively privileged situation. But as the head of the cultural office you also have contact with many organizers and artists. How precarious is their situation in spring 2021?
The situation is dire in several ways. On the one hand there is the financial hardship. Many have already had to break into their reserves and retirement provisions. Many had to change jobs. I know sound engineers and concert agents who now work as caretakers or in construction. State aid works sometimes more, sometimes less. Under no circumstances can you compensate for the loss of income. Then there is the psychological distress: there is currently a complete lack of perspective in the scene, which is extremely difficult for many. And then there is the existential aspect: Art and culture are not just recreational activities, they are essential food for many people, a daily requirement, so to speak. He can't be stopped while streaming, he needs to meet the audience.Spain understood this as one of the few countries in Europe and left the theaters largely open through the pandemic.
Looking into the future is difficult, especially in the corona pandemic. Nonetheless: will the cultural scene in the Munich area after the pandemic be the same as it was in March 2020?
It will change and some actors may have given up.
But I believe in the power of the cultural scene, which had to reinvent itself again and again during the pandemic.
None of the industries that have been equally hard hit by the lockdown has shown so much creativity, so much flexibility and so much perseverance as culture.
Finally, think optimistically: If you could imagine the best possible realistic case - what will summer 2021 in Bavaria look like culturally? Would a little "summer of music" still be an option?
I am an optimist. I firmly believe that Corona-compliant and safe outdoor cultural events can and must be possible in summer 2021. In this respect, we will definitely be holding summer music concerts and other cultural events in Dachau between the end of June and mid-September. We have the open spaces and the concepts - all that is needed now is politics, which provides the framework and perspectives.
Interview: Florian Naumann / * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA You will stay up to date
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