Let's be honest! NEVER before has the entire arts sector had to economise to such an extent in order to still have a right to exist. Art is no longer allowed to be "different" or tread unexplored paths. And if it does, it has to fit in with the cheery marketing schemes straight away. I know it may sound harsh, but this is exactly the situation in which large parts of art increasingly find themselves.
It's high time for a few changes. It's high time to restore dignity to the arts, even if it's going to be an uncomfortable journey.
For several years now, I have been working on ideas for the realisation of future-oriented, flexible, cross-genre and cross-style concert formats that can create a new infrastructure for music. I am in dialogue with like-minded people from the arts, economy, science, advertising, tourism and politics. Together we work on new solutions that create added value for everyone.
With the idea of "Imagine Dignity" I want to go now even one step further.
For me, music has always been perhaps the most subtle form of communication with people - always at eye level - always with the same mutual appreciation. It's all about dignity.
And it is precisely this quality that is increasingly being lost in an era of rampant digitalisation and mass marketing of music. It remains to be seen what impact this will ultimately have on our society.
With "Imagine Dignity" as the basic idea, over the coming years I want to bring to life together with my teams and musical colleagues partly new, partly old and forgotten, partly unconventional music formats that function exclusively and only in direct, shared communication with the audience. Everything will be based on interaction: deep listening situations, individual face-to-face concert situations, interactive genre-crossing multi-media dialogues etc. etc.
Let us treat ourselves, each other and art with dignity.