Funding

(Theater Handgemenge)
freelance actor with diploma . puppeteer . director

1986-90
Studied at the "Ernst Busch" Academy of Dramatic Arts Berlin

July 1990
Graduation with diploma, foundation of the Theater Handgemenge Berlin

Peter Müller (Theater Handgemenge)

Since 1990 I have been working independently, mainly as a player and manager of the ‘Theater Handgemenge’.
In 1993 I moved to Mecklenburg. From 1993 to the year 2000 I was employed as an actor at the Kammertheater Neubrandenburg (this theatre was merged in 2000, which made it impossible to continue the original concept. Since then, the Kammertheater has been run by the Neustrelitz Theatre (Theater und Orchester GmbH). Independent artists could possibly rent the theatre hall - but this would not be financially viable).
Since 2001 I have worked exclusively as a freelance artist in Germany, Europe - and worldwide.

How are projects financed?
I/we finance our projects, including technology and equipment, largely ourselves, with possible participation from other theaters.
In rare cases, I have received project funding, such as from the city of Potsdam in 2019. This project funding usually covers approximately 5–10% of production costs.
For projects that received one-time funding from the German Federal Cultural Foundation, this percentage was higher.
In 2020, I received initial and one-time project funding from the Performing Arts Fund, which covered approximately 80% of the project costs and enabled three months of work. Four other project applications, which were intended to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, such as research grants, were all rejected without explanation.
From 2022 onwards, funding was only available on the basis of co-financing from public funds (state or local authorities). The amount of co-financing had to be between 50% and 75% of the application amount. Even if public funds were available, they would not come close to 50%–75%. As a result, there is no longer any funding for projects in our region. In addition, some of the bridging funds provided during the coronavirus pandemic had to be repaid. Since then, all expenses have risen to such an extent that they are barely covered by income. While approximately 50% of self-employed artists had to give up during the pandemic, this number will increase significantly as the situation continues.
Since 2024, spending on culture has been drastically cut once again. With 50% of funding already missing, these cuts make projects almost impossible to carry out. Only commercial ventures (small and light-hearted) can still generate some income.

Funding by the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Since 2007, all applications for project funding have been rejected without explanation.
The city of Neubrandenburg has not provided any financial support to date.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the city of Neubrandenburg provided €1,000 per independent artist. However, artists were required to develop a project and organize performances in order to receive this funding. I was not able to “benefit” from this funding because I live 11 km away from the city. In addition, renting a hall alone costs around €700, plus advertising. In the end, this kind of “funding” was completely superfluous.

Performance opportunities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
These have largely ceased to exist for around 15 years. Due to theater mergers and funding cuts, there is hardly any money left for guest performances. Once one of the best-known federal states for high-quality art, Mecklenburg has seen a rapid decline over the last 15 years. In Mecklenburg, subsidies are increasingly only being awarded to projects that are largely self-financing, so-called “beacons” (large-scale projects and events such as the Mecklenburg Festival, Störtebecker, etc.). Funding for experiments or socially relevant topics by independent artists is therefore only possible on a supra-regional basis. But even the latter, funding, is rapidly declining.

For the reasons mentioned above, I sought performances and projects in other federal states, Europe, and worldwide. However, the new political situation and cutbacks are increasingly limiting this. Goethe Institutes have either been closed or no longer have a budget.

During the corona pandemic During the coronavirus pandemic, self-employed artists were able to apply for so-called “non-repayable bridging funds” because they were no longer allowed to perform and, unlike many other trades, were no longer generating any income. The bridging funds provided a fraction of compensation for canceled performances. However, most artists had to repay this money. This is more than shameful for this country. Officially, approximately 50% of self-employed artists had to give up their profession during or after the pandemic. The actual number is likely to be higher. Since 2024, funding for culture has been cut to such an extent that many artists are switching to other professions or taking on commercial work.

The cultural and creative industries (KKW), the profit-oriented part of the cultural and creative sector (KKS), have suffered disproportionately high economic damage compared to other industries as a result of the coronavirus measures. The following submarkets recorded a particularly sharp decline in sales: performing arts (−53%), music industry (−33%), film industry (−21%). (official calculation)

The Federal Audit Office (BRH) believes that established structures could be permanently dismantled because creative artists could turn to more crisis-proof industries with more reliable career prospects. Due to the slow outflow of funds, the BRH doubts that “NEUSTART KULTUR” has alleviated the acute economic hardship of cultural institutions worthy of preservation, as intended. (Instead of supporting Eventim, for example, these funds could have provided noticeable help to the performing arts, painters, sculptors, and art associations.) Now, the already insufficient funds for NEUSTART KULTUR are to be cut by another 50%. With price increases of 30–100% and a 50% cut in subsidies, any school leaver can work out where this is heading. In the long term, only those who engage in pure commercialism will survive.

Therefore, I generally aim for performances and projects in Germany - Europe - and worldwide.

Performances in:
several times in France, Spain, several times in Belgium, Italy, Hungary, several times in Poland, several times in the Czech Republic, Denmark, several times in Switzerland, several times in Austria, several times in Serbia, Scotland, several times in England, several times in Iran, Canada, Japan, Ireland, several times in Greece, several times in India, Sri Lanka, Honduras, several times in Slovakia, Nicaragua, several times in Mexico, Panama, El Salvador, several times in the USA, several times in Liechtenstein, several times in Turkmenistan, Turkey, several times in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, several times in Croatia, Algeria, several times in Colombia