supports transregional alliances in the independent performing arts by providing financial resources and promoting networking, further training, professionalisation and knowledge exchange with each other.

Working together across regions has been standard practice – in more or less formalised networks – in the independent performing arts for years. What has been lacking until now, due to the federal states’ independence when it comes to cultural policy, has been structural support that would stabilise the transregional associations. The “Verbindungen fördern” project aims to change this: the structures of the alliances involved are strengthened in a model way by making financial resources and staff available.

With funding over several years, the project enables the individual alliances to work continuously together on concrete themes and thus encourages sustainable production methods. In addition, “Verbindungen fördern” seeks to help regional artistic approaches gain visibility across Germany; regionally tested ways of working and aesthetics are tried out and further developed transregionally. Alliance partners from regions with weak structures are especially supported in this programme so that they are better able to participate and make a contribution to artistic developments across the country.

The Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste (BFDK) creates the framework for sharing knowledge between the alliances that have received funding. For this it regularly organises working meetings as well as workshops and symposiums on specific topics. For the purposes of knowledge transfer and structural support, alliances can also consult with the BFDK on establishing or strengthening alliances. 

There are currently nine alliances in the network “Verbindungen fördern”. Since 2017, the first four’s work in cultural policy made a significant contribution to getting the funding programme off the ground. After a team of reviewers looked at the applications, they began their alliance work at the start of 2021. Five more alliances who were chosen by an expert jury after a public call for applications joined the network in early 2022.

The project “Verbindungen fördern” will be funded from 2020 to 2025 by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media on the basis of a resolution by the German Bundestag.

Call for proposals

The call for proposals for the third and final funding phase of “Verbindungen fördern” is aimed at transregional initiatives or consortia of independent performing arts stakeholders who are already organized as an alliance. During the two-year funding phase, up to nine alliances of at least eight partners from at least five federal states, which want to strengthen their cooperation as a network in the period from January 2024 to December 2025, will be funded.

Application deadline 28 February 2023

Illustration

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Logo der Beauftragten für Kultur und Medien

Team + contact information

Project management

Portraitbild von Lars Hecker

Lars Hecker
E-Mail: @email

Project staff

Portraitbild Yara Castanheira

Yara Castanheira
E-Mail: @email

Student employee

Greta Ernst
E-Mail: @email