PRESS RELEASE 19/01/2005

TAKING STOCK
Between KEP 1999 and KH 2009

5 years after the Cultural Development Plan (KEP)
4 years before Cultural Capital (KH)
1 year with Erich Watzl

Discussion of the current situation and future perspectives of the Freie
Szene in Linz

with

Vice-Mayor City Councilor Dr. Erich Watzl
City Councilor MMag. Klaus Luger
District Councilor Horst Lausegger
Maga. Elfi Sonnberger (Offenes Forum Freie Szene Linz, Linz City Culture
Committee, Stadtwerkstatt)
MMag. Harald Schmutzhard (Offenes Forum Freie Szene Linz, Social Impact)
Andrea Mayer-Edoloeyi (Offenes Forum Freie Szene Linz, FIFTITU%, KUPF)

Chair: Mag. Martin Wassermair

Thursday, 27 January 2005, 7.30 p.m.
Stadtwerkstatt Linz

(Linz) Over the last few decades the Freie Szene, the independent art
scene, has indisputably become a locomotive for cultural and artistic
development in Linz (KAPU, moviemento, Die Fabrikanten, Radio FRO, servus,
Stadtwerkstatt, Theater PhÃ¶nix, Linzer FrÃ¼hling, TIME'S UP, KUPF, ...).
The Freie Szene has provided or at least co-initiated essential impulses
for the development of the art and culture landscape of this city
(Architekturforum, Ars Electronica Festival, Crossing Europe Film
Festival, Festival der Regionen, LinzFest, O.K Center for Contemporary
art, ...). This independent art scene also contributed substantially to
the success of the European Culture Month 1998. Despite increasingly
sparse resources and with great effort, widely respected projects and
initiatives have been established in recent years as well (FIFTITU%, G11,
Institut fuer erweiterte Kunst/Frohsinn, Kunstraum Goethestrasse,
Freundinnen der Kunst, Kliemsteinhaus/Salzamt, MAIZ, MEDEA, prairie,
qujOchÃ–, Social Impact, transpublic, Wunderkinder KG, ...). In addition,
many artists from this field have substantially contributed to changing
Linz from a City of Steel to a City of Culture.

For some time now, though, there have been rumblings in the Freie Szene.
While the city embarks on achieving a format of European culture, the
initiatives and artists of the Freie Szene are struggling to survive.
Stagnating and shrinking budgets, non-confirmation of funding, meager
impulses and abstruse subvention procedures increasingly hamper the work
of independent artists.

In 2000 the City of Linz prepared a specific Culture Development Plan (KEP
â€“ Kulturentwicklungsplan). In these guidelines that were agreed by
resolution of the city council, the Freie Szene is named as one of the
three cornerstones of Linz as City of Culture, alongside the areas of
"Technology and New Media" and "Open Spaces". Numerous objectives
formulated in the KEP refer to the Freie Szene. Under "Linz â€“ Profile",
for instance, it says: "In order to maintain the great artistic potential
of the Freie Szene in Linz in the future as well, support for the Freie
Szene must be consistently and sustainably continued and expanded." (KEP
2000, p. 10; http://www.linz.at/kultur/kep/E-start.htm)

An interim report from Spring 2004 lists implementations, supplements and
commentaries to the KEP (Festival 4020, Media Institute, cultural
revitalization of city districts, further development of the LinzFest,
Linz Music Theater, Knowledge Tower, ...). With a few minor exceptions
(LinzEXPOrt, Linz Innovation Pool, funding agreements for several years),
the Freie Szene has been left out. Many of the objectives and measures
that affect the Freie Szene are still waiting to be implemented five years
after KEP.

Vice-Mayor Dr. Erich Watzl (OeVP) has meanwhile held office as Cultural
Councilor for just over a year. In terms of necessary funding, the Freie
Szene has been fluctuating (still) between stagnation and resignation
since then. Palpable movement and clear impulses for the focal point
"Freie Szene" have been few and far between, if not entirely lacking. In
some cases, the development is even regressive: reputable organizations of
the Freie Szene have had their budgets cut, up and coming initiatives are
denied even ludicrously low amounts of funding. However, the other
political parties must also face the reproach that they have neglected to
ensure consistent and lasting support for this cornerstone, the Freie
Szene.

Looking ahead to the year 2009, the lack of cultural policies in the focal
point area of the "Freie Szene" is all the more tragic. With all the
efforts devoted to polishing the external facade of a European Cultural
Capital, the responsible politicians of the city of Linz seem to have
forgotten about the development and expansion of the basis, the substance.
Without the creative and innovative forces of the Freie Szene, Linz 2009
will degenerate into a short-term event spectacle. The unique opportunity
of this major project for providing the artistic and cultural profile of
the city of Linz (and the surrounding region) with a lasting strength will
be wasted.

For this reason, the Linzer Freie Szene demands that action must follow
the unanimous resolution of the Cultural Development Plan by the City
Council in 2000 to ensure the survival of this scene and enable dynamic
further development. It is only under these conditions that the project
"European Cultural Capital 2009" can be seriously prepared and sustainably
implemented in keeping with the principles of the Cultural Development
Plan and thus the profile of the city of Linz.

On 27 January 2005 the Freie Szene invites the responsible politicians of
Linz to take part in a panel discussion entitled "TAKING STOCK. Between
KEP 1999 and KH 2009" to discuss a list of demands and develop new
perspectives. At the Stadtwerkstatt, representatives from the Austrian
People's Party (OeVP), the Social-Democratic Party of Austria (SPOe) and
the Greens will be called upon to state their positions regarding the
bleak situation of the Freie Szene and present their proposals for the
necessary implementation of the demands.

Links:
http://www.servus.at/freie-szene/

In case of further questions, phone ...
++43 650 37 18 080 (Harald Schmutzhard)
++43 664 17 65 195 (Andrea Mayer-Edoloeyi)
++43 732 60 20 74 (Elfi Sonnberger)