The coalition factions in the Brandenburg state parliament have backed the Lausitz Festival and its director Daniel Kühnel. A motion by the Left Party parliamentary group to restart the transnational multi-genre festival and retender the artistic director was rejected by a majority on Thursday.
This was due to accusations by regional artists that they were not involved in the festival's program development. Another point of criticism is the lack of transparency in appointing the director of the festival, which has existed since 2020. There was no call for tenders. Daniel Kühnel was given a five-year contract without the festival's advisory board being consulted.
When asked about this on Thursday, advisory board chair Kathrin Winkler said that the advisory board had been kept informed at its meetings and was also in contact with the director and the Lausitz Festival team beyond the meetings. "At no point were there any objections to the appointment of the artistic director. On the contrary, Daniel Kühnel's concept was approved unanimously," explained Winkler, who is also Managing Director of the Lusatian Lakeland Tourism Association.
