Munich's independent scene - the contrast to chic and humpty-dory
Nothing going on in Munich apart from high culture? The independent scene proves the opposite. Away from the established cultural institutions, independent production venues can be found scattered throughout the city, blowing a breath of fresh air through the Isar metropolis.
WHAT IS THE FREE SCENE?
"We are the subculture that turns the city into a big city, we are the contrast to chic and humpty dumpty"The independent scene in Munich
The independent theater scene is the stage for independent artists, the performing arts that do not take place in municipal and state theaters. There is room here for experiments, unusual ideas and unconventional approaches.
The Akeur:innen of the independent scene develop their own structures and look for new ways to tell stories. They create across disciplines, from dance to theater to performance.
The topics are as diverse as the actors themselves. Popular and recurring motifs include queerness, future scenarios, hope and hopelessness, inclusivity, postcolonialism and the social treatment of media.
Even if you might not expect it from Munich, which is considered stuffy and traditional, the independent theater scene is a significant part of the city's history.
The 1980s in Munich were particularly characterized by a creative awakening and artistic experimentation. Artists from various disciplines, such as acting, dance, music and performance art, worked together to create innovative and often experimental productions.
These performances were characterized by their independence from traditional theater structures and were often characterized by political, social or community engagement. Alternative cultural centers, small stages and improvised venues were important platforms for this movement. Greats such as Erich Kästner, Emmy Hennings, Gerhard Polt, Karl Valentin and Mary Wigman have also performed on independent stages in Munich.
Image credits: Ceren Oran & Moving Borders (1, 2), Pathos (3,5,6) Jasmine Ellis projects (4,7), Stefan Kastner (9)
WHO IS THE FREE SCENE?
In addition to freedom, the independent scene is also characterized by uncertainty. The professional careers and everyday working lives of those involved are often a colorful mosaic of different fields of activity and short-term projects, and the future is often uncertain. Munich in particular, with its high rents and cost of living, is a difficult place for subculture.
This is also due to the way in which funds are distributed to cultural projects. Despite public support for art and culture throughout the country, there is a significant difference between permanent theaters and freelance artists: The former benefit from structural funding, while the latter have to constantly struggle to find funding for their projects.
In order to represent the needs and interests of freelance performing artists in Munich, the Netzwerk Freie Szene was founded in 2017. The network promotes cooperation between cultural professionals, advocates for more artistic freedom in the city and is committed to improving the living and working conditions of artists. Members include individual artists and collectives as well as venues such as Schwere Reiter, PATHOS and HochX Theater. On the website of the independent scene, you will find a cross-disciplinary program schedule where you can find all events of the independent scene in Munich.
OFF TO THE OFF-THEATER!
Well, have you now got the desire to experience a piece of the independent scene on stage? You can currently see this and many other exciting performances in Munich:
Sabine Karb: Fast Fashion
How can the joy of fashion and self-expression through clothing be reconciled with the knowledge of the socio-ecological impact of the fast fashion industry? In the dance theater piece "Fast Fashion", young people and dance students approach this question critically, but also humorously.
BODYTALK: KOREALITY – (K)eine Geisterbeschwörung
It is widely believed that Korea today represents what Japan stood for yesterday. But those days are long gone. Three smartphones now have to share one person in Korea. Korean zombie films are booming on Netflix. Their brutal material reflects the social distortion of reality, such as the abuse of young people at school, university and in the military. They are a reflection of the all-round competition that produces winners and losers. This uniformed Korean society produces outsiders who evade the pressure of perfection: as ghosts, they are invisible to the winners. Dance theater with live music.
Freispruch: Ein Ermächtigungsprojekt
"Freispruch" shows how art can be used as a tool for liberation and self-empowerment - the community-building power that lies within it. Recommended viewing not only for FLINTA* in their healing era.
Ceren Oran & Moving Borders: Spiel im Spiel
When children play, anything is possible: the floor is made of lava, objects fly through the air and everyday objects take on a whole new meaning. From an almost infinite selection of possibilities, worlds with their own set of rules are created through play, which can be changed, expanded or discarded again and again. - Play in play is a dance-based exploration of the possibilities of children's play and an invitation to shape them.
GLITSH
Series for performative texts by Jan Geiger and Theresa Seraphin GLITSH performs texts. Texts that are written for the stage and texts that belong on the stage. GLITSH is not a velvet glove. GLITSH does not make mistakes. GLITSH means mistakes. GLITSH does what dey love. GLITSH does nothing for nothing. With GLITSH there is always something for nothing. What GLITSH is, changes all the time. GLITSH has nothing to do with new drama and a lot to do with drama. GLITSH is GLITSH.