“Es braucht ein ganzes Dorf …” hybrid symposium on dance in rural areas
Organized by Aktion Tanz | TanzSzene Baden-Württemberg
Competence Center Dance MV | Dance Region Vorpommern e.V.
The hybride symposium “Es braucht ein ganzes Dorf… Tanz in ländlichen Räumen“ took place May 7 and 8, 2021. In total 120 participants, mostly from the German-speaking area, took part in panel discussions, video presentations, working groups and workshops which took place in Stralsund, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern und Lahr, Baden-Württemberg yet were accessible online as well.
The venue had invited dance makers and people interested in dance as well as representatives from culture, education, politics and administration in order to tackle fundamental topics together: how can we arouse interest in contemporary dance in rural regions? Which conditions are key to make rural regions attractive for dancers and dance teachers? Which structures do cultural organizations need in rural areas to perpetuate their existing activities?
Numerous Best Practice examples in form of videos, lectures and talks gave insights into the work with dance and dance dissemination in rural areas within diverse regions and states. Hybrid formats of talks and workshops brought small groups in Stralsund and Lahr together with the online participants, which proved to be an encounter that can be considered as future-oriented for the rural areas.
Here you can find the symposium’s program. (available in German only)
Panel discussion ‘How does dance get into the area?’ from 07.05.2021
“There are still many prejudices – in the village, but also in the cities.
Often dance makers from urban contexts think that dance in the countryside is less professional, less innovative, less interesting – these are simply prejudices that you dissolve by what you do – but it takes time.“
– Chrystall Schüttler –
(Video only available in German)
“It’s good to be able to offer young people something outside of Tik Tok and Youtube.”
– Ann Christin Schubert –
SUMMARY:
The first panel discussion, moderated by the journalist Petra Mostbacher-Dix, is dedicated to the initial question ‘How does dance get into the area? Successful projects such as ‘Tanz in der Fläche’, initiated by TanzSzene BW, as well as newly founded dance venues in rural regions, which have emerged from the motivation to be able to see and experience dance locally and not only in urban areas, will be presented and examined from different perspectives. Themes include still existing prejudices that dance in rural areas is not very professional, innovative or interesting, the sometimes difficult establishment of dance audiences and the importance of relationship work for the design of dance offers in rural regions, for which the local actors are extremely important. As a prerequisite for the sustainability of dance projects and initiatives in rural regions, politics is assigned a special role: Participation does not only arise when art is already on site; the exchange between the various interest groups such as artists, citizens and politicians must begin much earlier.
with
Pascal Sangl (freelance choreographer & dance facilitator)
Andrea Gern (Managing Director / TanzSzene BW)
Crystal Schüttler (choreographer & dance facilitator / Semilla – School for Dance, Performance and Yoga, Mühlhausen)
Ann Christin Schubert (School Social Worker / Youth Centre E.GO Ehingen)
Brigitte Aurbach (Board of Rätschenmühle e.V., Geislingen)
Finn Hucker (former dancer from the dance theatre project ‘Tanz in der Fläche Jukebox 3.0’ Ehingen)
Moderation: Petra Mostbacher-Dix (journalist)
Panel discussion ‘How does dance come to the school class and / or the school class to dance?’ from 07.05.2021
“We would never have chosen to do dance at our own school if we didn’t think it would have a huge impact.”
– Monika Morawietz –
(Video only available in German)
“Through dance, the social fabric of the group changes.”
– Dörte Baehr –
SUMMARY:
The second panel discussion, moderated by journalist Juliane Voigt, looks at the work of the Perform[d]ance association with and for schools from different perspectives: dance mediators report on their everyday lives, in which they often have to travel long distances to various schools and institutions, pupils give insights into the challenging and enriching work on large-scale school dance projects, and the school management reflects on their own motivation to realise dance projects every year. The development and concept of internationally cast, professionally produced classroom pieces is also explained, as well as the importance of networking – with dance practitioners inside and outside the federal state as well as with non-dance actors on site. The cultural administration of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sees its own scope for action in activating, enabling and perpetuating good ideas and Vorpommern as a model region for dance in schools. For here the goal is formulated: To bring every child into contact with dance once.
with
Stefan Hahn (Artistic Director & Choreographer / Perform[d]ance)
Dörte Bähr (choreographer & dance facilitator / Perform[d]ance)
Monika Morawietz (Headmistress / Freie Schule Rügen)
Katerina Schumacher (Head of Department / Ministry of Education, Science & Culture Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
Finja Schulze-Gerlach, Oskar Krause (former dancers of the dance theatre project / Freie Schule Rügen)
Moderation: Juliane Voigt (journalist)
Summary of the working groups and final discussion ‘Reality check – from model to sustainable structures’ of 08.05.2021
“Let us become visible for people and thus also for politics and the economy.”
– Stefan Hahn –
(Video only available in German)
“Don’t leave federal politics in its UFO.”
– Caroline Meder –
SUMMARY:
The final discussion, moderated by Michael Freundt, is introduced by the summaries of the three previous working groups and then subjects the ideas, wishes and demands of the dance professionals to a reality check. On the part of politics, it is stated: Culture is actually part of services of general interest, but many municipalities are too poor to be able to afford it in reality. The establishment of regional funds is discussed from various sides, but there is also a call for the federal government to take on more of a financial obligation in order to secure culture in rural regions as well. There was also discussion about the task of regional managers, about the threat of austerity measures that would also and above all affect culture in rural regions, about various funding programmes that can be used to bring dance to rural regions, and about the impact of culture on political decision-making levels and the everyday lives of citizens in rural areas.
with
Martina Kessel (Aktion Tanz – Bundesverband Tanz in Bildung und Gesellschaft e.V.)
Karin Kirchhoff (Tanzland – Programme for Guest Performance Cooperations – Federal Cultural Foundation)
Caroline Meder (Advisor to the Bündnis 90/ Die Grünen parliamentary group)
Stefan Hahn (artistic director & choreographer / Perform[d]ance),
in the video: Patrick Dahlemann (State Secretary for Western Pomerania)
Moderation: Michael Freundt (Dachverband Tanz Deutschland)
On the ‘Journey to Rural Spaces in Six Stations’, six artists presented their organisations and their work in different rural regions and countries.
UMtanz – Uckermark, Brandenburg
Led by choreographer Yeri Anarika, the Umtanz team develops dance projects in Templin and the surrounding area of Brandenburg for and with people of all ages on site – adapted to their needs.
(Video only available in German)
Loitz inTakt!– Mecklenburg- Vorpommern
“Loitz inTakt!” is a participatory dance project of the future city Peenetal-Loitz 2030+ in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in which artistic director Silke Lenz works with non-professional dancers on choreography.
(Video only available in German)
SZENE 2WEI – Lahr, Baden-Württemberg
Under the direction of William Sánchez H., Timo Gmeiner, the mixed-abled ensemble of SZENE 2WEI in Lahr, Baden-Württemberg combines artistic work and mediation workshops.
(Video only available in German)
Lawine Torrèn – Moosdorf, Austria
Under the direction of Hubert Lepka, the artist:ing network Lawine Torrèn, based in Moosdorf, Austria, creates performances that are radically different from conventional stage works – and often take place in very large, real spaces and landscapes.
(Video only available in German)
Culture Mill – Saxapahaw, North Carolina, USA
Under the artistic direction of Murielle Elizeon & Tommy Noonan, the Culture Mill initiative combines immersive art-making, artist residencies and educational outreach – in rural North Carolina.
Ponderosa – Stolzenhagen, Brandenburg
With Ponderosa, dancer and choreographer Stephanie Maher has created a creative place in Stolzenhagen, Brandenburg, together with long-time companions, where dance, choreography, nature, improvisation and community life are combined.
The mentoring programme that followed the symposium “Es braucht ein ganzes Dorf …” hybrid symposium on dance in rural areas gave interested dance practitioners the opportunity to get to know the work of various organisations as well as dance artists and facilitators. Yeri Anarika/UMtanz (Uckermark, Brandenburg), Ponderosa (Stolzenhagen, Brandenburg) Hubert Lepka/Lawine Torrèn (Moodorf, Austria), Perform[d]ance (Stralsund, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) and Pascal Sangl (Stuttgart region, Baden-Württemberg) were host mentors for artists, mediators, students and teachers related to dance for a few days. They all offered their guests the opportunity to get to know the specific working methods, infrastructures, teams and sometimes also the audience.
In addition to in-depth discussions, the on-site experience proved to be crucial for discovering and understanding the artistic approaches and fields of action of dance in rural regions. Together with their mentors, the mentees visited still undiscovered spaces and places for dance in rural regions, travelled long distances to reach schools in various island locations, took part in travelling theatre rehearsals at an altitude of 1900 metres or observed street dance training sessions. The focus of the exchange was, among other things, the transferability of the experiences to the mentees’ sphere of influence as well as an open and honest approach to different hurdles and joys of creating dance in rural areas.
All participants experienced short but intense times and encounters in which it was not only a matter of passing on information and transferring knowledge, but also of creating new networking opportunities. Being able to infect each other with one’s own commitment to dance in rural areas is one of the many insights gained from this mentoring programme.
Supported by the Performing Arts Fund with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media | Ministry of Education, Science and Culture Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Vorpommern-Fonds