Stage association sounds the alarm - theaters threatened with insolvency

The Eduard-von-Winterstein-Theater in Annaberg-Buchholz is trying to draw attention to itself with a signature campaign. (Archive photo) / Photo: Jan Woitas/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa

Over 100 million euros per year from the state

The situation of Saxony's theaters and some orchestras is "still completely in the doldrums", especially due to the unclear government situation without a new budget, as state association head Hillmann describes it. In addition, the Cultural Areas Act should be reworked - and come back into force in an amended form in 2026. "Everything is up in the air here too at the moment." The funding rate for theaters under the law is between 20 and 30 percent, significantly lower than in other federal states, "and no longer sufficient". The state supports the municipalities with around 106 million euros per year via the Cultural Areas Act.

The further disbursement of previously put together aid packages is also unclear from next year, according to Hillmann. "In view of the tight budgets everywhere, a certain restlessness is spreading among theater companies." Over the past two years, the Free State of Saxony has supported theaters and orchestras in Saxony with 4.6 million euros via an aid package in order to safeguard cultural offerings in these difficult times.

In addition to the problems at the Plauen-Zwickau Theater, the Saxon Wind Philharmonic in Bad Lausick and the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater Görlitz-Zittau were also a cause for concern, according to association head Hillmann. "This year, they could be saved once again." The Freiberg theater in Central Saxony was only saved from closure for the time being by a complicated financial agreement between the municipalities. At the Festspielhaus Hellerau, cuts were made across all areas and divisions.

Cautious planning

The Eduard-von-Winterstein-Theater in Annaberg-Buchholz is trying to draw attention to itself in view of the uncertain public budget situation with a petition and currently 3,300 supporters. "We are the largest employer in the cultural sector in the Ore Mountains," says Moritz Gogg, artistic director of Erzgebirgische Theater- und Orchester GmbH. 150 employees from 18 nations are employed here. The in-house collective agreement with the orchestra expires at the end of January 2025.

"We have not been adequately funded for over 20 years. We are planning very cautiously for next year." For this reason, some positions in the theater operations will not be filled for the time being, and there will be one less new production in autumn 2025. "We will only breathe a sigh of relief when the full amount of money we have applied for actually arrives next year," says Gogg.

Stage association sounds the alarm - theaters threatened with insolvency

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Over 100 million euros per year from the state

Cautious planning

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