Information for
artists

Dear artists, artist groups & promoters,

We are grateful for the many programme proposals and applications we receive. We kindly ask for your understanding that it may take some time for us to respond to enquiries. We receive numerous enquiries and applications every day, but unfortunately we can only consider a fraction of them.

On this page we give you some information on how our programme is created and what a collaboration with the Schwankhalle could look like.

Do we match?

Before you send us an enquiry or application, a look at our profile ↗ can be helpful to assess whether we are the right venue for your enquiry. Our event schedule ↗ also gives a first impression of where the focus of our program lies.

If you are unsure whether your project or format is suitable for us, you are welcome to attend our monthly open consultation. The dates of the consultation hours are announced on this website: contact ↗.

Basic Information

The Schwankhalle is a performance and production venue for the independent performing arts in Bremen‘s Neustadt district. It presents current positions from performance, theatre, dance, music theatre and related artistic forms.

We do not have a permanent artistic ensemble. Our team specialises in the organisation and realisation of co-productions and guest performances. The programme directors are Anna K. Becker and Katrin Hylla. Also based at the Schwankhalle is steptext dance project. They produce and curate contemporary dance.

Most of the Schwankhalle‘s institutional funding is used for the overheads of the venue and staff, so we work with a rather low programme budget. This means that the artists and groups who rehearse and perform with us have to bring in funding through project grants or other means.

Guest performances

Guest performances can be realised with third-party funding. This implies that the costs of a guest performance cannot be covered by the Schwankhalle‘s programme funds alone. Partial funding (through funding programmes such as the NPN-National Performance Network ↗), guest performance resumption or diffusion funding as well as through foundations) is required.

Guest performance proposals with a lead time of at least six months can be considered. Requests and proposals are discussed and reviewed in regular programme meetings. Feedback can therefore take several weeks.

Cooperations

Collaborations with local artists and groups are selected once a year through an Open Call ↗. Project proposals can be submitted in spring/­summer. Out of the applications we make a pre-selection for potential partnerships. If funding is granted by the Senator for Culture of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen ↗, we can realise the projects together in the following year.

For project funding, we recommend seeking advice from the Landesverband Freie Darstellende Künste (LAFDK) ↗, an organisation that represents the interests of freelance artists in Bremen.

Concerts

Concerts make up a smaller part of our programme, as our focus lies on the performing arts. Currently, our concert programme is largely organised by an external planning group whose focus is on the presentation of BIPoC and queer artists.

Readings

Readings take place at irregular intervals in the Schwankhalle and are selected to complement our themed programmes or festivals.

Other event formats

Further collaborations exist with local initiatives, associations, festivals and event series. Some of these collaborations have been on-going for years, but we are open to new connections with organising groups.