23.5.: More than 100 associations address this urgent appeal to the Graz City Government and the Styrian Provincial Government:
Dear City Government of Graz,
Dear Styrian Provincial Government,
As cultural institutions with multi-year funding contracts, we are addressing this urgent appeal to you as those responsible on the part of the City of Graz and the Province of Styria. The future of the Styrian and Graz cultural landscape is at stake!
A few months ago, we made you an offer with our three-year programs. With our ideas and productions, we are very happy to continue to provide the Styrian population with a diverse and high-quality cultural offering in the coming years. We are highly motivated to continue to make Styria an internationally esteemed cultural region, characterized by regional and international festivals, art projects, exhibitions, literary events, theater and concert seasons. We serve an audience from all walks of life and social backgrounds.
We form the backbone of the Styrian and Graz art and culture scene. Our work creates the diversity and vitality of cultural life beyond the big institutions. With our venues and production spaces, we create structures for young cultural talent and the mediation of cultural work. We offer low-threshold meeting places and develop our program in direct exchange with the audience. We stand for entertainment as well as for critical social discourse. In this way, we contribute to the innovative, cultural climate in Styria and its capital city for which our province is nationally and internationally renowned.
With our work, we create hundreds of jobs, commission individual artists from all disciplines, are networked in the most diverse social scenes and industries and, according to studies, are a key driver of economic development in Graz and Styria. What would technology rental companies, music studios, print shops, event spaces, graphic designers, hotels, etc. be without our work? What would happen to all the freelance tradespeople who depend on our scene?
We have only just recovered from the devastating cultural standstill caused by the pandemic and we are already threatened with another round of cuts or a lack of valorization. The “cultural ecosystem” is in danger of collapsing. Our sector is already one of the most precarious in our society. The budgets we work with are small. It is almost impossible to run a cultural initiative without idealism. We are no strangers to poverty – especially the prospect of poverty in old age. Further cuts to our budgets will therefore have fatal consequences. Even a temporary cut in cultural funding will cause irreversible damage. Initiatives will close, artists will end their careers, many will become unemployed, others will emigrate, a brain drain is to be feared.
We see the danger of a two-tier, if not three-tier culture emerging. The gap between the participations and the independent sector is widening. At the same time, artists and initiatives that are dependent on project and annual funding are falling behind those with three-year contracts.
We demand:
- an increase in the cultural funding budget to cover the funding requirements
- no charity policy, no emergency funding from other departments, but a structural improvement in our working conditions
- a contractual anchoring of valorization
- a continuation of the drive for fair and adequate pay and the integration of fair pay into the regular funding structure
- a redimensioning of prestigious projects and funding in the commercial sector (major urban and regional events) in order to free up funds for the survival of the independent cultural sector. Solidarity between the big tankers and the most precarious players!
- ensuring sufficient project and basic funding for those who do not have multi-year contracts
- sufficient lead time and timely communication of funding amounts so that we can plan seriously
- Evaluation of our applications by expert, non-partisan committees without the involvement of right-wing extremists
- Definition of a democratic and transparent selection process for participants in review bodies
We know that the municipalities and federal states are facing major budgetary challenges. At the same time, we must prevent the destruction of fundamental structures that have been built up over many decades. Even minor cuts endanger the existence of independent cultural life and jeopardize the scene in the long term. The potential for savings in the independent cultural sector is small, but the impact of cuts is immense. We therefore ask you to take the necessary steps to counter the impending damage to cultural capital. We are available for talks within the framework of #kulturlandretten and expect
a positive outcome.
Signed on behalf of #kulturlandretten by the following institutions:
Afro-Asiatisches Institut Graz
Akademie Graz
Art Mine
Artikel 7 Kulturverein für Steiermark Pavelhaus
ausreißer
aXe Graz
CAMERA AUSTRIA
Cantando Admont
CCW
Cinema Talks Filmfestival
CLIO
culture unlimited
Das ANDERE Heimatmuseum
das andere Theater
Das Planetenparty Prinzip
Diagonale – Festival des österreichischen Films
Die Rabtaldirndln
Dramatiker|innenfestival
Drehbuchwerkstatt
Elevate Festival
esc medien kunst labor
Follow the Rabbit
Forum Stadtpark
Future Icons
Grazer Kunstverein
Greith Haus
Grrrls Kulturverein
Halle für Kunst Steiermark
hotelpupik
IG Kultur Steiermark
IMPULS – Verein zur Vermittlung zeitgenössischer Musik
Initiative Kunstverleih
InTaKT – inklusives Tanz-, Kultur- und Theaterfestival
InterACT-Werkstatt für Theater und Soziokultur
Internationale Bühnenwerkstatt
Internationale Sommerakademie für Theater
ISOP Innovative Sozialprojekte
Jazzfestival Leibnitz
Jugend-Literatur-Werkstatt Graz
Jugend- und Kulturzentrum Explosiv
La Strada
LeibnitzKULT
Literaturhaus Graz
KiG! Kultur in Graz
KIZ RoyalKino
Klanghaus Untergreith
KOMMST Festival
Kulturinitiative Kürbis Wies
Kulturverein SUBLIME
Kulturverein Weiz
Kulturvermittlung Steiermark
KuKuK – Regionales Theaterfestival für junges Publikum in der Steiermark
kunstGarten
Kunsthalle Graz – Verein für zeitgenössische Kunst
Kunsthaus Muerz
Lichtungen – Zeitschrift für Literatur, Kunst und Zeitkritik
Literaturverlag Droschl
manuskripte
Mezzanin Theater
mur.at
Museum der Wahrnehmung MUWA
Neue Hofkapelle Graz
next – Verein für zeitgenössische Kunst
open music
perspektive – hefte für zeitgenössische literatur
puppille – Verein zur Förderung der Theaterkultur
QL-Galerie
Radio Helsinki
Roter Keil
< rotor > Zentrum für zeitgenössische Kunst
Schallfeld Ensemble
Schaumbad
Slam Kollektiv Graz
spleen – Internationales Theaterfestival für junges Publikum
Steirische Gesellschaft für Kulturpolitik
Steirische Kulturinitiative
Steirische Stifts- und Schlosskonzerte
Steirisches Feuerwehrmuseum Kunst & Kultur
STOCKWERKJAZZ
STRADEN AKTIV
Styrian Association for New & Improvised Music
Styrian Summer Art
Tanz Graz
Theater am Lend
Theater am Ortweinplatz
Theater Asou
Theater Bluatschwitzblackbox
Theater Feuerblau
Theater im Bahnhof
Theater im Keller
Theater Quadrat
Theaterhaus
Theaterland Steiermark
theaterzentrum deutschlandsberg
THEO Theater Oberzeiring
uniT
Vitamins of Society
Verein Akrosphäre
Verein CHIALA
Verein GAT
XENOS
The Kleine Zeitung reported.