Freelance artists often live in the shadow of the large, continuously funded houses. Now they get support to become more visible for the audience and for colleagues.
Magdeburg (dpa/sa) – With a new state-wide online portal, the independent theaters in Saxony-Anhalt want to become more professional in their visibility and increase their reach. The “Theatris” platform will in future offer a nationwide schedule with filter and search options. Artists and ensembles can present themselves and their repertoire. Guest performances outside of Saxony-Anhalt as well as interdependencies between artists and ensembles are becoming visible, explained Maria Gebhardt, Managing Director of the Landeszentrum Freies Theater Sachsen-Anhalt association before the start on Thursday.
start with about 40 to 50 profiles and will be constantly expanded. The Landeszentrum Freies Theater Sachsen-Anhalt will take care of the maintenance. The project and campaign were funded with around 180,000 euros by the Ministry for Infrastructure and Digital Saxony-Anhalt and the Cultural Foundation of the federal states. According to a survey by the state association, there are around 85 free professional performing artists, almost 80 free dance, theater and circus educators and over a hundred amateur theaters nationwide, all of whom can benefit from the project free of charge.
The online portal is intended to relieve the artists of work, after all they are responsible for everything themselves, from planning, driving, construction, playing, maintaining contacts to billing, said Maria Gebhardt. All resources are mostly put into art in the hope of getting enough audience. “Theatris” also enables artists to find cooperation partners. In addition, with the nationwide overview, it should be easier to organize guest performances.
According to Maria Gebhardt, the start date on December 1 was not chosen by chance. “We hope that we can give the scene a boost for the Christmas business.” It is the highest-earning time of the year.
Kevin Schulz from the Kammerspiele Magdeburg confirms that times are not easy right now. He recently celebrated the premiere of “Olvenstedt tries” – the first performance was well attended, but not sold out. “This has never happened before.” It’s not a fiasco, emphasizes Schulz, but the audience’s reluctance is palpable. Fewer tickets would be bought longer in advance, the box office had become stronger. At the same time, you have to finance rising rents, which are still fair, but more expensive.
Kevin Schulz sees a great opportunity in the new portal. “It almost replaces your own website”. And also Jennifer Krannich, with “cute
According to Maria Gebhardt, “Theatris” is based on an open system. “We are actively looking for the next partners who want to make “Theatris” usable for themselves. Because the independent scene does not end at the national border”. Open development orders could then be tackled together. This includes selling tickets directly via the platform, which has not yet been possible.
