2 December 2021 / 13 May 2022 / 6 July 2022 / 30 March 2023

HAIFISCHBECKEN, a satirical show

A production of STUDIO.BOX, Theatre Erfurt
by Martina Veh, Markus Weckesser, Mila van Daag
Stage and costumes: Mila van Daag

What is HAIFISCHBECKEN, the "Shark Tank"?

An opera-talk format as an experimental set-up

In search of a sustainable model of theatre, director Martina Veh invites different guests from politics, culture and science to the STUDIO.BOX of the Erfurt Theatre and discusses explosive topics of today's theatre world in the context of social developments.

What has happened so far:
The format "Shark Tank" came into being in the Corona forced break. At that time, our thoughts revolved around the question of whether culture is relevant to the system. Since then, we have dealt with various topics that critically examine the anachronistic medium of theatre and its effectiveness in society. For example, topics such as "Closing the theatres, democracy is dying", "Art as a weapon?", "Opening the theatres, but for whom actually?" were on the agenda in cooperation with Festival Europa and the Phoenix theatre festival.

Previous guests were: Vitali Alekseenok (conductor from Belarus), Franz Leander Klee (composer and theatre musician), the stage designer Christoph Ernst (stage designer), Tobias Knoblich (head of the department for culture and urban development of the city of Erfurt), Marc Grandmontagne(cultural expert, consultant), Thomas Grysko (advisor to the head of the department for culture of the city of Erfurt), Moritz Schönecker (director, founder of the Underground Art Academy), the author and actress Katja Hensel (actress and author), the photographer Sylwia Mierzynska (Poland), the chamber singer Máté Sólyom-Nagy (Hungary), Frido Mann, the author of "Democracy will win", the violinist Vesselin Paraschkevov from Bulgaria, the Young Ensemble Network, Ralph Neubert, the director of studies of the Theatre Erfurt and ensemble members.

with many musical and non-musical contributions by the guests.

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30 March 2023 / HAIFISCHBECKEN 4 - New Heroes!

The success of the German premiere of Pleasure by Mark Simpson in the STUDIO-BOX Erfurt at the Erfurt Theatre allows us to come together and discuss whether opera needs new heroes, how future repertoires should be structured and how the theatre of the future can become an integral part of urban society for ALL.
Shark Tank invites all interested guests to Pleasure's stage set to talk together about the design and direction of a future repertoire.

"The world is fragmented into many small possibilities.... But the bigger the possibilities, the smaller the world in which we think?"

Chair / Martina Veh
Guest / Roland Dippel (cultural critic, dramaturge, author)
Guest / Mathis Nitschke (composer, director and producer)
Guest / Cristiano Fioravanti (director of the German premiere of Pleisure)
Music / Ralph Neubert

Are the arts the seismographs of the present?
Do we need new gods and heroes?
Music/theatre between club and intercultural meeting place?

In this issue we also ask questions about how theatre of the future can become an integral part of urban society for ALL. The success of PLEASURE* brings us together to discuss whether opera needs new heroes and how future repertoires should be structured.

"In a time of social upheaval and crisis, traditional models of representation, economy and action have become unsuitable." Barbara Gronau

Why is PLEASURE such a great success?
What do today's opera heroes look like?
Who writes new plays?
How do you write new operas?
Music theatre as an expedition format and bridge builder to urban society.
Who makes the repertoire?
Whose vision do we represent through a repertoire in a diverse but also fragmented society?
What is going on with the classics? Or what's going on with the audience?
Integration, innovation and networking?
What does a theatre mean to a city?
How can the repertoire build bridges to the city?
For whom do we want to make theatre in the future?
Has "normality" returned to the theatres?
What exactly is normality?
Where is society and its "norms" heading?
Normality with regard to different ways of life?

The world is fragmented into many small possibilities... but the bigger the possibilities, the smaller the world in which we think?

 

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6 July / HAIFISCHBECKEN 3 - Closed Society

Shark Tank extra - an event by STUDIO.BOX and Phoenix 2.0
Open up the theatre! But for whom actually?
Are theatres closed worlds to which many cannot find access or have no access? With the Shark Tank extra, we move to the Kulturquartier.
Martina Veh and her guests look out of the theatres to those who have to stay outside. Musical surprises interrupt the debate.
Guests are Marc Grandmontagne (cultural expert, consultant), Thomas Grysko (advisor to the head of the cultural department of the city of Erfurt), Moritz Schönecker (director, founder of the Underground Art Academy), Christoph Ernst (stage and costume designer), Ralph Neubert (pianist, director of studies at the house) with many musical and non-musical contributions from the guests.

Moderation / Martina Veh
Music / Ralph Neubert

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13 May 2022 | HAIFISCHBECKEN 2 - Art as a Weapon
An event by STUDIO.BOX on the occasion of the festival weekend "Where is Europe?"

Is theatre subsidised cave painting or an irreplaceable part of the democratic public sphere? Is art a serious matter? A weapon? The shark tank continues.
As always, you will see Martina Veh moderating and her guests, the conductor Vitali Alekseenok (Belarus), the singer Máté Sólyom-Nagy (Hungary), the violinist Vesselin Paraschkevov (Bulgaria), the author and actress Katja Hensel, the stage designer Christoph Ernst and the photographer Sylwia Mierzynska (Poland) turn their gaze towards Europe. Musical surprises from our singers interrupt the debate.


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02 December 2021 | Shark Tank 1 - Democracy Debate
The theatres are closing, democracy is dying? Is this the conclusion?

And where is it, the public, what forums of present communication, of lively debate could theatre offer? Above us the sharks circle and we...? Prepare an opera talk show.

Jakob Arnold, young theatre director and co-initiator of the theatre festival PHOENIX, the stage designer Christoph Ernst, Tobias Knoblich, Head of the Department for Culture and Urban Development of the City of Erfurt, will jump into the shark tank with us on 2 December.

Host Martina Veh discusses the really uncomfortable topics of the day with them. The talks are accompanied by Frido Mann, author of "Democracy will win", violinist Vesselin Paraschkevov, theatre musician Franz Leander Klee and ensemble members of the Erfurt Theatre.

 
copyright photos: Lutz Edelhoff
copyright poster: Mila van Daag