Symposium: TOURSTART – First Steps in Distribution and Networking

National and international collaboration expands the visibility of one’s own artistic work, opens up new horizons and promotes intercultural exchange. Getting started in the areas of touring, coproduction and comprehensive collaborations, however, has only been possible in the last two years under especially difficult conditions. For this reason, this symposium is intended especially for newcomers to this field. How do I establish a network and maintain it sustainably? Where do I find partners for my projects? Which networking platforms or trade fairs are worth pursuing for me? How do I refine my profile in order to be able to present myself there?

A keynote speech will provide insight into collective networking, two workshops will help you to prepare for attending trade fairs and festivals and, over the course of table conversations, there will be the opportunity to enter into contact with a variety of trade fair platforms, funding programs and touring networks. Following this, the focus will be placed on the topic of sustainability in terms of mobility in the independent performing arts via a panel discussion. The breaks and the closing aperitif offer more than sufficient opportunities to enter into exchanges and make new contacts.

This event will be held in German spoken language. If necessary, an individual interpretation can be provided for individual formats. If you have any questions at all about accessibility we are at your disposal and ask you to please contact us with your desires and needs in order to allow us to orient ourselves stronger to the needs of the participants.
 

Schedule of Events

10:00 am: Registration & Coffee

10:30 am: Official Welcome and Presentation of the Schedule of Events with Florian Hohnhorst & Catherine Launay (Berlin Performing Arts Program), Fridolin Hinde (management of ufaFabrik) and Marianne Ramsay-Sonneck (LAFT Berlin)

Keynote Speech Networking in a Collective
with Eva Hartmann (Gob Squad)

How do tours, guest performances and collaboration start off? Who arranges what by meeting when and with whom? And who maintains all of the contacts to performance venues, festival and other partners? Eva Hartmann (management of and dramaturgy for Gob Squad) provides insight into the praxis of the performance collective that works internationally.
 

11:00 am: Table Conversations with a Variety of Funding Programs and Touring Networks
With the international co-production fund of the Goethe-Institut, KreativTransfer, Nationales Performance Netz (NPN, the German National Performance Network) and Touring Artists

National and international distribution requires money, know-how and places where the right contacts can be made. For this reason, we have invited a variety of trade fair platforms, funding programs and networks. After a brief introduction at the beginning of the day, they will present themselves and what they have to offer at information tables in the lobby - where space has also been provided for the individual questions of the participants over the course of informal conversations.
We have invited: the Internationale Kulturbörse Freiburg (IKF, or Freiburg International Culture Exchange), INTHEGA, KinderKulturBörse.
 

12:30 pm: Lunch Break

1:30 pm: Parallel Schedule of Workshops
 

Workshop A: First Steps in Networking
With Leonie Wichmann

What are possible reasons for working nationally or internationally? What kinds of challenges does this kind of work bring with it? What responsibilities do I have to international partners, to my own group, to myself? And, if I decide to work this way: how do I actually come into contact with possible partners? This workshop will provide initial insight into these and other questions?
 

Workshop B: How Do I Sharpen My Profile?
With Katharina von Wilcke

Or festivals, theater trade fairs, networking meeting or even the next premiere - there are always situations where you are expected to talk about your own project succinctly. When you are in situations like this, how do you condense your ideas and content in a pithy manner? And how can a conversation between equals be accomplished where the interests of your interlocutor also remain in sight?
 

Workshop C: Who Is A Good Fit For My Artistic Work and How Can I Reach Them?
With Katja Sonnemann

Please note: This workshop will be take place in English spoken language.

Touring and distribution are also always dependent upon the right cooperation partners. But what performance venues or festivals are a good fit for my project? Or, to look at things from another angle: why do I think that? And why could the respective performance venue or festival be interested in the work? If I am going to talk about the project and only have a short amount of time to do so, what are the most relevant pieces of information and how do I communicate them precisely and to the point? This workshop offers practical exercises for finding answers to these questions.

Coffee Break
 

4:00 pm: Panel Discussion Sustainable Distribution in the Independent Performing Arts
With: Eva Hartmann (Gob Squad), Konstanze Grotkopp (Performing for Future - Netzwerk Nachhaltigkeit in den Darstellenden Künsten, Network for Sustainability in the Performing Arts), Katia Münstermann (BFDK) Silvia Werner (FestivalFriends, audio contribution)
Moderation: Ute Hempelmann

The COVID-19 pandemic is waning, we are all on the road again but, in light of the climate crisis, we cannot simply return to the way things were. At the same time, hunkering down and going hyperlocal is not an option, either. With this in mind, let’s ask ourselves what sustainability really means for the performing arts, especially in terms of distribution. Measures such as taking trains instead of planes wherever possible are obvious. Alongside ecological perspectives, however, sustainability also affects the economic, social and human aspects: how can structures be changed so that productions are not discontinued after just a few performances but instead be presented more frequently? How can individual performances be avoided in favor of bundling performances into tours? What kind of funding is necessary so that artists can plan more for the long term and establish sustainable relationships with theaters and festivals? And how can the independent performing arts take on a role as a driving force for societal transformation when it comes to the topic of sustainability?


Followed by: End of the Event and Closing Reception with Drinks


This symposium is being realized as an event with in-person attendance.
For the safety of all visitors, the following hygiene concept has been agreed to with the event location:

• in order to gain access to the event, each visitor must be provide evidence of a same-day negative antigen rapid test for COVID-19
• It is recommended that a face covering be worn during the entire event, but this is not mandatory
• If you have even the slightest of symptoms, we ask you to please refrain from attending the symposium
• We will ensure that the entire event is as well ventilated as possible

This event will take place in German. If needed, personal simultaneous interpretation can be provided for individual formats. We are at your disposal if you have any questions about accessibility and ask you to please let us know about your desires and needs so that we are able to orient ourselves more strongly to the needs of the participants.