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[Translate to English:] Die Neuen Auftraggeber von Eberswalde

Gesellschaft der Neuen Auftraggeber Receives Award

The Gesellschaft der Neuen Auftraggeber has won the Zukunftspreis KULTURGESTALTEN award in the “initiative and network projects” category. The award, which honors forward-thinking cultural policy initiatives and is sponsored by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, was presented yesterday.

We are extraordinarily pleased by the news that we have been honored with this award. It honors an entire network of civic associations, creative artists, and their partners, whom we at the Society of the New Patrons advise and support as they embark on ambitious projects to transform a piece of their surroundings and communities.

Developed by Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e.V., the new award honors exemplary initiatives and outstanding projects that put forward-thinking cultural policy ideas into practice. It is designed to generate attention for innovative practices, visions, and paradigms in cultural policy and spotlight the honorees’ distinctive contributions to civil society. The award is given out every two years in the three categories “standalone projects,” “initiative and network projects,” and “(pilot) projects in municipal self-government” and comes with a total prize money of €15,000. Established in 1976, Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e.V. (KuPoGe) is a nonpartisan alliance of individuals and organizations throughout Germany who take an active interest in cultural policy. It is the leading platform for debates around cultural policy in Germany and guided by the conviction that “cultural policy is social policy.”

“The New Patrons are an innovative and participatory model for a cultural policy that is designed to meet the sociopolitical needs of the day and facilitates a democratic production of ‘culture for all by all.’ Their approach provides a thematically open framework that allows for a discourse to be cast into concrete form, and is scalable and adaptable to a variety of contents and structures. The organization of the project’s work in several model regions throughout Germany ensures its broad-based impact,” Dr. Tobias Knoblich (president, Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft) explained the jury’s decision during yesterday’s award presentation ceremony.

“The New Patrons’ winning this prominent accolade makes us optimistic that their model project of a democratic culture aspiring to the highest standards of artistic quality will be adopted more widely in Germany as well. The Federal Cultural Foundation believes that the award acknowledges a successful partnership between art and politics in which all parties’ actions are guided by the interests of civil society.” Hortensia Völckers, artistic director, Federal Cultural Foundation.

Image: Die Neuen Auftraggeber von Eberswalde. Photo: Victoria Tomaschko

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Colorful illustration of a city with skyscrapers in the background and small houses and people in the foreground

The German Association of Cities and the German Association of Towns and Municipalities support Neue Auftraggeber's participation model for public artworks and recommend it as “a cultural, social and urban policy model that can complement and enrich cultural life in the city.”

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Aerial view onto urban district with large housing complexes in the centre

The State Capital Kiel is the first municipality in Germany to implement the New Patrons model in its own local structures. In the Mettenhof district, a three-year participatory process for a public artwork has now been launched, commissioned by local residents and accompanied by mediator Pascal Simm. In connection with the district and in the spirit of the community, the commission is intended to address site-specific local issues, wishes, pressing concerns or challenges.

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Square in a green area with people at bar tables. On the left and right are yellow and pink staircases and bridges leading into the green and in the background are old and news buildings.

In 2024, Künstlerhaus Stuttgart will become an anchor point of the New Patrons, meaning a local partner institution and regional contact point for activities of the New Patrons in Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg. On this occasion, Kathrin Jentjens and Gerrit Gohlke will be guests at Künstlerhaus Stuttgart on April 13, 2024 and will report on their experiences from the pilot phase of the New Patrons in Germany.

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Group picture with 19 people in front of a beige curtain. There is a spotlight on a tripod in front of the group on the right.

Exchange and knowledge transfer are important foundations of our mediation practice. At a network meeting of all "Citizen-Commissioned Dance and Performance" program participants in Sophiensäle Berlin, the mediators talk about their work, share their experiences and take part in an artistic workshop by mediator and choreographer Zwoisy Mears Clarke.

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In Europe and beyond, citizen-commissioned art has become a broad movement since the 1990s that continues to grow, generating more and more voices, commissions, and formats. Seven national organizations representing close to 100 mediators of the New Patrons network in their respective countries now have joined forces and founded the Societé Internationale des Nouveaux Commanditaires – the International New Patrons Society.

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Dance group in a public place in Marl

Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation) again supports New Patrons

There is reason to celebrate at New Patrons! We are delighted that the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation) today announced its decision to fund a nationwide program for dance and performance commissioned by citizens.

Around 15 artistic projects can be initiated from 2023 to 2028 by civic groups and implemented together with international artists. The German Federal Cultural Foundation is providing five million euros for this purpose.

The funding is an important step toward expanding and establishing citizen-commissioned art in Germany – and a recognition of this innovative model, which was already successfully funded by the Federal Cultural Foundation in a pilot phase…

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New Patrons of Mönchengladbach work in the garden

We mourn the passing of Kobe Matthys (1970-2023), who died at the age of only 52. 

As part of Ruth Buchanan's project A Garden with Bridges (Spine, Stomach, Throat, Ear) for the New Patrons of Mönchengladbach, Kobe Matthys was a guest advisor in Mönchengladbach in 2021 and 2022 to reflect on the development of a (community) garden with the commissioning groups. As a place that renews itself on many levels, this garden is a reflection of a city that is undergoing radical change due to the transformation of industrial processes, late capitalism and changing needs of its inhabitants. We reflected with Kobe Matthys on the process involved in creating a community garden. He generously shared his experience and immense knowledge. As an artist living in Brussels, he was a member of the Zenne…

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On 22 October 2022 a mosaic picture has been inaugurated in the garden at the village house in Wietstock in Western Pomerania, which was developed by the renowned artist Antje Majewski in an exchange with a group of villagers. The picture, which measures just under six square metres, was produced in a Berlin workshop as a high-quality mosaic from Italian glass stones and shows animals and plants that are significant for the commissioning group from the village in Western Pomerania.

The New Patrons Initiative was funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation for the development of the commission and the design. The realisation of the mosaic by cosmomusivo mosaik was funded by Kunstverein Rügen e.V. through Stiftung Kunstfonds / #NeustartKultur as well as Fondation de France and the…

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Many members of The New Patrons of Schwarzheide/Lauchhammer are at Casa Isadora

The SeeCampus Niederlausitz was expanded to include a creative thinking space. Sol Calero's Casa Isadora was adapted to the needs and wishes of the students during a three-day workshop. The work now remains on campus as an open thinking and recreation space for the students. 

Many thanks to all involved - the students of the SeeCampus who contributed with creativity and passion and to Sol Calero!

Photos: Victoria Tomaschko

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Dance group in a public place in Marl

"This is the most unusual project of my entire career" - Sasha Waltz. 

On 10 & 11 September in Marl, one could experience how the action model of the New Patrons came to bear as a catalyst of a new communality.

The renowned choreographer Sasha Waltz made an entire city dance with "In C - Marler Partitur".

On the performance weekend, the actors moved in a spiral to the city centre, where the big performance with all participants and dancers of the company Sasha Waltz & Guests took place at the end of the second day.

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