edition September/October 2019

Together We Can Make Change

ZTB – Zeitgenössischer Tanz Berlin has initiated the campaign Dance for millions of reasons to call for a reevaluation of the Senate’s budget plans for the years 2020/21.

Viele Menschen stehen zusammen und strecken entschlossen die rechte Hand in die Höhe. Eine Frau hält eine lila Protest-Fahne in der Hand.
ZTB Protest "Dance4Millions" © Diego Agulló ZTB Protest "Dance4Millions" © Diego Agulló

Active in the field of dance since the year 2000, the ZTB – Zeitgenössischer Tanz Berlin is one of the important networking agencies in Berlin’s dance scene and well beyond. With their _Dance for millions of reasons_ campaign, the associa- tion and its newly elected board are committed to implementing as many results as possible from the Runder Tisch Tanz Berlin (RTT). In this participative process, the dance scene together with cultural politicians and the cultural admin- istration has been devising a plan for the future of dance in Berlin. At present, the funding for its implementation is negotiated at the Berlin City Parliament. What does the ZTB think about the first draft of the budget as of June? Here’s their opinion, as well as a call for action to the dance scene and its supporters.

ZTB Board

Dear dance artists, choreographers, companies, performers, producers, journalists, educators and audience members, dear friends and allies,

we are happy to introduce ourselves as the newly elected board of ZTB – Zeitgenössischer Tanz Berlin e.V., an association founded in 2000 to represent the interests of dancers and dance makers in Berlin. The new board has been formed at a pivotal moment for dance and choreography in Berlin: after the year-long process of Runder Tisch Tanz Berlin (RTT) in 2018, the implementation of the RTT’s recommendations are still being negotiated with the Berlin Senate. The final RTT report provided alarming data on the precarious state of the working professionals in the free scene and the struggle of existing yet chronically underfunded companies, institutions, collectives and spaces.

As the ZTB Board, we are dedicated to continuing the process initiated by the RTT and to ensuring that its proposals are implemented. The dance sector in Berlin is in need of deep reform. The first draft of the Berlin Senate on the Double Budget 2020/21 is not adequate and shows a lack of serious support for the field of independent dance. Although this art form continuously demonstrates its artistic excellence, courage and innovation, it remains one of the most fragile and underfunded sectors of cultural production.

To show our discontent with the Senate’s response to the RTT recommendations, we initiated the campaign _Dance for millions of reasons_ to call for a reevaluation of the Senate’s decisions. We started with a protest on August 9th at the opening of the festival Tanz im August and will continue with the campaign until November 6th, when the final budget for 2020/21 will be passed.

In our current work, we want to focus on the development of structures and solutions that support the working professionals of Berlin’s dance. In August we organised a workshop with Ilse Ghekiere (BE, _Engagement Arts_) and Robyn Morg Doty (USA/DE, Whistle While You Work) that dealt with the #MeToo related processes and raising awareness about the sexual harassment and boundary violations in the field. We aim to establish structures that support and inform people experiencing harassment or violation at work. When it comes to improvement of the working conditions and work culture in dance, we are certain that our common task should be to introduce and celebrate ethics and behavior that promotes equality, respect and justice.

Apart from our presence in the field of cultural politics in Berlin we rely and ask for your expertise, participation and support. Every last Tuesday of the month at 7pm, we organise Follow Up Monthly: FUM mit ZTB.
We invite you to join the discussion and get informed about cultural politics and our current ZTB activities in Berlin.

Join us ! Follow us ! Talk to us! Together, we can make change!

Your ZTB Board
Cilgia Carla Gadola (producer, independent ­curator), Barbara Greiner (producer, production manager), Jenny Haack (artist), Moritz Majce (artist), Kareth Schaffer (choreographer, dancer), Kasia Wolinska (dancer, choreographer, writer)_


Our Open Letter is available for
signing under this address:
chng.it/ShX2bNyX.

You can find the updates on the campaign and its developments on our website
ztberlin.de and on our Facebook page
facebook.com/ZTBerlin.

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