Here you can read an excerpt of the newsletter of our cooperation partner #aufstehenfuerdiekunst (stand up for the arts)
On January 23, the newspaper “Münchner Merkur” published a major interview with the initiators of the AUFSTEHEN FÜR DIE KUNST initiative, tenor Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Hansjörg Albrecht, Kevin Conners and Christian Gerhaher. In response to the interview, Bavarian Minister of State Sibler, immediately invited the initiators to a video conference. This conversation was very constructive: their points of view were explained and there was an intensive and open exchange for 90 minutes. Minister Sibler confirmed that their expertise from an artist’s point of view will be listened to in further talks when starting steps are considered. The initiators will primarily advocate for the safe opening of cultural institutions according to the special rights conceded by the German Constitution – of course this is dependent on the course of the pandemic.
In the video conference it was made very clear what is at stake:
If a „lockdown light“ (analogous to November/December 2020) should come into effect again in Germany and the retail sector (which is not protected by the constitution at the same level) is opened, while the cultural institutions continue to remain closed, as is indicated in some step-by-step plans, the initiators will initiate a legal review and submit the prepared emergency application immediately.
The AUFSTEHEN FÜR DIE KUNST initiative has also won more than 300 important supporters since its launch at the beginning of December.
The network supporting the initiative includes renowned artists such as Herbert Blomstedt or Anne Sophie Mutter. In addition, the GMD- und Chefdirigent*innenkonferenz e.V. (Chief conductor conference), the Initiative Krea[K]tiv – musiktheater stands up e.V., the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart, the Rheingau Musik Festival and the Heidelberger Frühling, the management of NAXOS Deutschland, SCHOTT Music as well as Lisa Batiashvili and Rolando Villazón are among the most recent supporters.
