LAB & KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN
Even before the results of the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in 2024 and this year's federal elections, it was clear that anti-democratic tendencies were on the rise. That is why we want to train local actors in dealing with these forces. The two-part qualification programme ‘LAB & KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN’ (LAB & CONFERENCE DIVERSE EAST) from Verbund Mitte:Ost was aimed at actors from the independent performing arts who actively engage with socio-political issues, take a clear stance on diversity and democracy and are interested in exchanging experiences on political and artistic challenges. The programme focused on questions related to the resilience of art and culture: How can cultural practitioners respond to anti-democratic tendencies? What strategies help to protect artistic freedom and pluralistic values?
LAB VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN
During LAB VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN, artists, venue managers and festival curators from Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt were able to work together in the digital space with dialogue partners from the neighbouring countries of Poland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. In a moderated dialogue, they reflected on their shared experiences and developed strategies for dealing with social and political challenges. Among other things, the dialogue focused on the changing working conditions for the independent performing arts, the role of artistic work as a form of activism and how to deal with increasing attacks and restrictions due to political influence and the risk of self-censorship.
The further thematic focus was demand-oriented and based on the individual concerns of the participants and the expertise of the international dialogue partners from the independent performing arts. The approximately 30 participants of the LAB MULTIPLE EAST were selected via an open call.
Following the exchange programme, a communication kit will be produced that can also be used as a tool for other cultural actors to become aware of their own position and strategy in dealing with political forces.
KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN
As part of a final conference held on 3 June 2025 at the Variabel Theatre in Olbernhau (Saxony), the results of the previous exchange were presented and expanded to include specialist knowledge from other experts in the fields of culture, law, administration and civil society. There were networking opportunities with committed regional and international stakeholders, practical hands-on workshops, in-depth panel discussions and keynote speeches by and with experts.
The conference was aimed in particular at those involved in the independent performing arts, but also welcomed cultural professionals and interested parties from other fields.
‘LAB & KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTILGER OSTEN’ was a cross-border cooperation project of the Landesverband der Freien Theater in Sachsen e.V. with the Landeszentrum Freies Theater Sachsen-Anhalt e.V. and the Thüringer Theaterverband e.V.
The two-part qualification programme ‘LAB & KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN’ was supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. The ‘KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN’ was also supported by the ‘Zusammen für Demokratie’ alliance and the Partnership for Democracy (PfD) Olbernhau und Umland as part of the federal ‘Demokratie leben!’ programme of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, co-financed by tax revenue on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon state parliament.
Linked to the ‘KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN’, the workshop ‘Embodied experiences of power(lessness)’ and a network meeting took place as part of the cultural policy dialogue of TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund, funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Dachverband Tanz Deutschland e.V. and Bureau Ritter.
Linked to the ‘KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN’, the workshop ‘Activist engagement: what to do? Empathy-based artistic strategies for interventions in public space’ will take place as part of the &FRIENDS DAY. FESTIVALFRIENDS is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media via the programme Verbindungen fördern of the Bundesverbands Freie Darstellende Künste e.V.
The ‘KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN’ was also supported by TOPAS GmbH and Halloren Vertriebs GmbH.