Introduction, Critical Responses and Roundtable Discussion

With: Naomi Boyce, Judith Pieper, Matthias Warstat, Jan Lazardzig, Joy Kristin Kalu (Universität der Künste Berlin) and Brandon Woolf

In a city struggling to determine just how neoliberal it can afford to be, what kinds of performing arts practices and institutions are necessary — and why?

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, political and economic agendas in the reunified German capital have worked to dismantle long-standing traditions of state‑subsidized theater even as the city has redefined itself as a global arts epicenter. Institutional Theatrics charts the ways theater artists have responded to these shifts and crises both on- and offstage, offering a method for rethinking the theater as a vital public institution. What is the future of the German theater, grounded historically in large ensembles, extensive repertoires, and auteur directors? Examining the restructuring of Berlin’s theatrical landscape and most prominent performance venues, Brandon Woolf argues that cultural policy is not simply the delegation and distribution of funds. Instead, policy should be thought of as an artistic practice of institutional imagination. At this event, we will critically discuss Woolf's theses on the basis of his book Institutional Theatrics: Performing Arts Policy in Post-Wall Berlin, Northwestern University Press, 2021.

The event is organized by  the research project A01. The discussion will be held in English spoken language. Questions and comments can also be made in German.