Doppelpass – Theatre Cooperation Fund

Cooperation between independent groups and standing performing arts theatres

Around 150 municipal and state theatres in Germany contribute greatly to the country’s performing arts scene. But it wouldn’t be as rich and diverse without the efforts of some 1,000 independent theatre and dance groups. In recent years, the Federal Cultural Foundation has particularly supported municipal theatres with major funding programmes, such as Home Game (62 productions) and Wanderlust (28 projects). Now with the Doppelpass Fund, it hopes to promote cooperation between independent groups and standing theatres of dance and dramatic arts. The Foundation’s goal is to encourage Germany’s theatre and dance artists from both the independent scene and the theatre establishment to work together and explore new forms of artistic production. The goal of the Doppelpass fund is to offer independent groups an opportunity to benefit from the structures and capacity of established theatres, while at the same time, offer artists at the theatres a chance to observe these groups at work and apply their methods in an artistically productive manner.

Both parties would benefit greatly from such cooperation. The theatres would allow independent groups to stage more performances and offer them an advantageous infrastructure with organizational and artistic competence. By cooperating with these independent groups, the established theatres would gain access to innovative forms of expression, working methods and thematic areas which could provide fresh impulses to their own work.

The central component of the Doppelpass Fund is a two-year residency programme. The programme will finance partnerships between established theatres and independent groups which have an equal say in their artistic collaboration. These partnerships should represent new constellations (that is, not merely a repeat of past collaboration or a continuation of a long-standing partnership). The concept should reflect the partners’ mutual artistic goals, as well as their concrete production plans and/or other variations of theme-oriented collaboration. The Federal Cultural Foundation will award each residency up to 150,000 euros, whereby the theatre must contribute cash resources of its own equaling 10 percent of the funding amount, along with additional support and services.

The Executive Committee is responsible for making final decisions on the residency proposals based on the recommendations of an independent jury of experts. The members of the jury include Christiane Kühl (dramaturge, performer, journalist), Jan Jochymski (theatre director at the Theater Magdeburg) and Carena Schlewitt (director at Kaserne Basel).

In order to increase the rate of performances of these productions, the Doppelpass Fund also requires that the participants guest-perform selected co-productions at no fewer than three other venues, including one in a foreign country. At the end of the residence period, the partners can apply for additional funding for their guest-performance tour. Up to 90,000 euros will be awarded by the Doppelpass fund for the guest performances. Co-financing must be provided by the event organizer.

To be eligible for funding, the new partnership must be formed between an independent group (at least three artistically active individuals) in the areas of dance and/or theatre and an established theatre located in Germany which offers a professional infrastructure for artistic work in these areas. The independent groups should have prior experience working together as an artistic team and should conduct most of their work in Germany. Solo artists are not eligible for funding.

The selected partnerships are awarded funding for a period of two theatre seasons. The group’s residency can be scheduled in blocks and does not require that the group remain permanently on location at the theatre all year round. Throughout the duration of the residency, both partners can also use the opportunity to produce their own projects. However, such projects should clearly be part of a binding and ongoing collaborative concept.

By integrating both institutional and non-institutional partners in a residency programme, the Doppelpass Fund aims to strengthen the artistic impulses in the German theatre and dance field. Furthermore, with its special focus on guest performances, it aims to improve the national and international network of independent groups and institutionally funded theatres.

Jury selects 17 cooperative projects for funding
On 26 March 2012, the members of the Doppelpass jury - Christiane Kühl (member of the artistic team of the Berliner Festspiele), Jan Jochymski (theatre director at the Theater Magdeburg) and Carena Schlewitt (director of the Kaserne Basel) – chose the following 17 projects in nine German states to receive a total of 2.5 million euros in funding:

eLBe: Über(n)flussgesellschaft
Landesbühnen Sachsen, Radebeul and bodytalk

Völkerschlachten
Schaubühne Lindenfels, Leipzig and fringe ensemble

Was kann ich für eure Welt
Staatsschauspiel Dresden and Theater Aspik

La Bremencité
Theater Bremen and Gintersdorfer / Klaßen

TransCities (AT)
Kultur im Ringlokschuppen, Mülheim an der Ruhr and copy & waste

anders machen
Wuppertaler Bühnen and büro für zeit + raum

Alles geregelt? Wir spielen wirklich!
Städtische Bühnen Münster and Theater Fetter Fisch

black face Jena
Theaterhaus Jena and Mass & Fieber Ost

Stalker
Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus and vorschlag:hammer

X Pe d/t itionen
projekttheater Dresden and theatrale subversion

Spielstätte Stadt
Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin and Kulturfiliale

Preenactment
Sophiensäle in Berlin und Internest

Enacted Thinking
Künstlerhaus Mousonturm in Frankfurt am Main und Mamaza

Game on Stage
Forum Freies Theater in Düsseldorf und machina eX

Radar
Theater Kiel und lunatiks produktion

Trojaner
Turbo Pascal und Theater Freiburg

Klohaus Platzhaus Schauspielhaus
Schauspielhaus Hannover und Das Helmi