Taking a Bite Out of Berlin's Culture Challenges: Sarah Wedl-Wilson's strategic approach
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Opposing Further Reductions in Cultural Funding, Newly-Elected Senator Wedl-Wilson Speaks Up - Opposed by the newly appointed Senator Wedl-Wilson: Proposed spending reductions face resistance
Berlin's incoming Culture Senator, Sarah Wedl-Wilson, has her work cut out as she stands firm against more significant budget cuts to the city's cultural scene over the next two years. The recent savings of 130 million euros were manageable due to the dissolution of reserves, but further cuts would be detrimental, she stated on RBB's Radio3.
To avoided such a bleak outlook, Wedl-Wilson is embarking on a formidable quest to collaborate with all cultural creators in Berlin to demonstrate the worth and significance of the city's cultural scene for its people and society. However, the journey will require finding ways where art and culture can cut costs, streamline structures, and generate extra income.
"Lastly, do the cutbacks at the art"
To achieve this goal, there will be a Culture Dialogue between the Senate and the institutions, where they'll brainstorm "what can we do differently, better, where there's still potential to tap, so we do the cutbacks lastly at the art."
Innovative ideas to achieve greater efficiency span shared depots, joint ticketing offices, and consolidated services. Theaters could potentially increase revenue by renting out their spaces for events.
No to Privatization
Wedl-Wilson assures no privatization discussions are on the table. "The word privatization is fake news. It's not about privatization in any way in this culture dialogue." Instead, the focus lies on finding the optimal structures for cultural institutions in the current "emergency situation."
It's not about wage dumping or job cuts, but rather about better collaboration within a network, either loosely as before or more closely collaborating, and discussing the long-term feasibility of a foundation model similar to the Opera Foundation.
Ready for the Challenge
Berlin's Regierender Bürgermeister, Kai Wegner (CDU), presented Wedl-Wilson as the city's new Culture Senator on Monday, and she will be sworn in on May 22, succeeding Joe Chialo (CDU), who resigned last Friday.
- Sarah Wedl-Wilson
- Berlin
- Cuts
- Herculean task
- Collaboration
- Opera Foundation
- Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Berlin's incoming Culture Senator, is facing a Herculean task as she aims to prevent further budget cuts to the city's cultural scene, stating that more cuts would be detrimental.
- To achieve this, Wedl-Wilson plans to collaborate with all cultural creators in Berlin, seeking ways for art and culture to cut costs, streamline structures, and generate extra income, focusing on discussions about optimal structures and better collaboration within a network.
- In the Culture Dialogue between the Senate and the institutions, they will explore ideas such as shared depots, joint ticketing offices, consolidated services, and theaters renting out spaces for events.
- Contrary to rumors, Wedl-Wilson assures that no privatization discussions are on the table, and instead, the focus lies on finding the long-term feasibility of a foundation model similar to the Opera Foundation.
