Live or die? A Report From Berlin on the Future of Arts Funding in Germany

1. Live or die? A Report From Berlin on the Future of Arts Funding in Germany Dr. Beth Bienvenu, Mathilde Speier, and Shawna Vacca October 18, 2008

3. Outline “Ghosts” of Berlin and Germany: Important Moments in History Affecting Arts Policy Today Funding of The Arts in Germany and Berlin Report From Berlin: Findings Argument: Berlin Arts Funding Will Thrive Argument: Berlin Arts Funding Will Suffer Your Conclusions?

4. Ghosts of Berlin’s Past

5. “Ghosts” of Berlin and Germany: Important Moments in History Affecting Arts Policy Today Beth Bienvenu United German Empire – 1871 - 1918 25 independent nation states Strong commitment to arts and culture but unique cultural traditions and policies Weimar Republic – 1919-1933 Support divided between the federal, state and local governments

6. “Ghosts” of Berlin and Germany: Important Moments in History Affecting Arts Policy Today Rule of the Third Reich – 1933 – 1945 Strong centralized government Censorship (Entartete Kunst) Loss of art and artists Destruction of industry and commerce, particularly in Berlin

7. “Ghosts” of Berlin and Germany: Important Moments in History Affecting Arts Policy Today Post World War II Response Renewed decentralization in all aspects of government, including cultural policy (West) Strong anti-censorship sentiment (West) Lack of industry or economic base in Berlin

8. “Ghosts” of Berlin and Germany: Important Moments in History Affecting Arts Policy Today The Cold War – post WWII-1990 Centralized government in the East, strong control over arts and culture Decentralized government in the West, little control over arts and culture

9. “Ghosts” of Berlin and Germany: Important Moments in History Affecting Arts Policy Today Reunification Era – 1990 to present Shift back toward decentralization and private support in the East Impact of duplicative organizations Cost for restoration Overall Berlin debt

10. Ghosts of Berlin’s Present

11. Funding of the Arts in Germany and Berlin Mathilde Speier Examples of Berlin 2008 subsidies per ticket: Deutsche Oper: $ 248 Schaubühne: $167 Deutsches Theater: $140 Renaissance Theater: $37

12. Funding of the Arts in Germany and Berlin The German model (1): Terminology “Nation of Culture” Decentralized

13. Funding of the Arts in Germany and Berlin The German model (2): Germany is a federal, parliamentary republic consisting of 16 states (Länder). Three (3) levels of governmental policy toward culture: (1) Federal (2) State [16 sovereign states] (3) Local

14. Funding of the Arts in Germany and Berlin Budgets: In 2007, the total budget for culture in Germany was ca $10.8 billion

15. Funding of the Arts in Germany and Berlin Trends: Total cultural budget (federal, state and local combined) in Germany declining German government is encouraging private funding Federal Government’s role in funding increasing

16. Funding of the Arts in Germany and Berlin Berlin City-State Disproportional Federal funding State $470 million Federal $545 million What is the rationale?

17. Museums Museumsinsel Jewish Museum Visual Academie Der Künste Hamburger Bahnhof KW Institute For Contemporary Arts Film German Federal Film Fund The Berlin Film Festival Theatre/Opera Deutsches Theater Deutsche Oper Staatsoper Schaubühne Sophiensaele Radialsystem V Berliner Festspiele Stiftung Oper in Berlin Dance Staatsballett Sasha Waltz & Guests Radialsystem V Report from Berlin: Interviewees

18. Orchestra Mahler Chamber Orchestra Konzerthaus Berlin Berliner Festspiele Deutsche Orchestervereinigung (German Orchestra Union) (DOV) Support/Other Academie Der Künste Deutsche Orchestervereinigung (German Orchestra Union) (DOV) Stiftung Oper in Berlin Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin Senate for Cultural Affairs Arbeitskreis Kultursponsorship (AKS) International Association of Art Critics (IACA) Report from Berlin: Interviewees

19. Report from Berlin: Findings Shawna Vacca Attitudes & Beliefs German Tradition and Identity: ‘I don’t like Opera personally, but we should support it with our tax dollars’ U.S.: Why should my tax dollars go to the arts? Censorship Concerns Germany - Freedom in Public Funding U.S. - Freedom in Private Funding

20. Report from Berlin: Findings Older, Larger, Traditionally Supported Arts Organizations (Opera, Theatre, Ballet, Orchestra) Most Suspicious of Corporate and Private Funding Have Fewest Resources Allocated to Fundraising All (8) organizations 40 - 300+ years old, 50-100 employees are 67-100% publicly funded. Younger, Smaller, Contemporary Arts Organizations Embrace Corporate and other Private Funding All (5) organizations started since 1990*, have an average of 20 employees, have 30-100% private funding (less than 30% publicly funded), including corporate funds and sponsorships * Except Hamburger Bahnhof which is a part of the Prussian Heritage Foundation

21. Report from Berlin: Findings • Trend Toward Starting “Friends of…” Associations, Memberships, Foundations • 2 older organizations, 2 newer organizations • All organizations that have public funding feel government budget cuts

22. Ghosts of Berlin’s Future

23. Argument: Berlin Arts Funding Will Thrive

24. Argument: Berlin Arts Funding Will Suffer

25. Your Conclusions?