NETWORKING MEETING DAY #1
In January we hosted the moderated networking meetings CONNECTING THE DOTS at the TANZKOOP studio. On the first day we mingled with many professional dance makers from Lower-Saxony, got to know each other better and exchanged experiences, ideas, wishes and claims for the free dance scene and their working conditions.
Questions discussed at the „long table“:
- What does our day to day work look like?
- Why do some of us not even have time to eat
lunch?
- How do we structure ourselves?
- What motivates us to work and keep working in
the field?
- How is the funding situation at the moment?
What needs to change?
- How do we open up sustainably to our audience
and what is the responsibility of institutions in
that regard?
A few topics that have been discussed and brought forward:
- How can we achieve more diversity and representation?
- Who is our audience?
- What infrastructures do we need no matter if we are freelancing or employed (such as production
spaces, stages, etc.)?
- How do we freelance and how do we combine multiple projects?
- How can we live more solidarity in the scene rather than competition?
- How can also the artist be supported not only the art in the current funding system?
- How can we get involved as a scene and develop structures together?
NETWORKING MEETING DAY #2
On the second day, dance makers and dance facilitators came together. We sat down at the „long table“ and learned about each other’s working realities and perspectives.
PANEL DISCUSSION AT THEREAL DANCE FESTIVAL DAY #3
On the third day the participants of the networking meetings travelled from Braunschweig to the Real Dance Festival in Hannover and some of them took part in a 2 hour panel discussion about the working conditions of the free dance scene in Lower-Saxony.
After the discussion we shared the trailer of the dance scene for the first time with the public and gave an insight into the different dance pieces that are being made and performed in Lower-Saxony.
Questions that have been discussed:
- What are the biggest challenges for us in working as a freelancing artist?
- Why did we choose to also take on cultural political and structural work? Why
did we as dance makers fund/join cooperatives or associations?
- What does our working reality look like, that is happening beyond the artistic
production?
- What was the most present topic for us in the networking meetings at
TANZKOOP?
CONNECTING THE DOTS is an initiative of TANZKOOP Braunschweig
Funded by the Stiftung Niedersachsen and the city of Braunschweig
With kind support from the Landesverband Freier Darstellender Künste Niedersachsen
