The faction of the Free Voters and FOR Karlsruhe continues to support a change at the top of the theatre. “The hanging game” must be ended and must not drag on for weeks, this is counterproductive and harms the employees and the theater in the long term. This was preceded by numerous discussions, including with the choir board, the orchestra board and with the Friends of the State Theater at the end of October.
Significant changes in the Badisches Staatstheater after the summer break were already promised in a reply from the ministry to the parliamentary group’s open letter in the summer, but these do not seem to have had any effect.
“After the many discussions I’ve had, I’ve come to the conclusion that a solution must be found with a new general manager,” explains City Councilor Petra Lorenz, “the current situation is unbearable even after the summer break”.
“In the future we need a functioning control body, an ombudsperson between the director and the department heads. Instead of an outdated hierarchical system, what is needed is a new way of working together, i.e. teams that shape the Badisches Staatstheater,” explains Lorenz. The parliamentary group continues to insist on an employee-friendly solution, which means that the contracts of many artists do not automatically end with the end of Peter Spuhler’s directorship, but are continued. The employment contracts of some artists are reminiscent of gag contracts and exclude, for example, organization via trade unions. “We need a real reform,” says Lorenz.
According to Lorenz, the corona crisis has exacerbated the situation at the theater, and the new measures in November will again severely restrict cultural operations.
“Especially during this crisis, the cultural scene needs creative approaches, ideas that bring art and music to the citizens – but they also need the necessary freedom, which we are sorely missing at the moment.”
Petra Lorenz
Ever since the first allegations against the General Manager and the first talks, the Free Voters faction and the voter group FOR Karlsruhe have been campaigning for a leave of absence for the General Manager. In addition, according to the parliamentary group, the renovation of the State Theater should not be tied ideally to Spuhler’s personality. In a recent question, the parliamentary group questioned the total construction costs of 500 million euros and called for alternatives to be examined. The parliamentary group also announces a budget proposal to limit the annual grants to the Badisches Staatstheater.
