Kulturkeller Winkel

The Kulturkeller Winkel existed between 2017 and 2022. It is the name of the Jungintendanz (Young Artistic Direction) at Luzern Theatre, as well as the location. The Kulturkeller ('culture basement') was located in the basement of one of the premises of Luzern Theatre.

History

The project grew out of a collaboration with the study program "Social Work" at Luzern College and started with a call for applications. From the applications, eight young artists from all fields (aged 17-25) were selected to form the Jungintendanz. The project was intended to set an example for similar projects that aim to include adolescents and young adults who are not yet professionals.

Without any limitations to their choice of artistic means or genres, the artistic team was free to use Kulturkeller Winkel for their work. They were obliged, though, to host two public events per month and to involve four different groups to work on the premises. They hence acted as a host to artistic residencies and as a freelance theatre institution. Particularly in the beginning, Kulturkeller Winkel was funded by the Luzern theatre and also supported in terms of infrastructure.

After the Kulturkeller Winkel project was dismantled, the remaining members of the group formed a collective called Kollektiv Winkel to continue their work. They organised events in 2022 and 2024.

Currently, the collective comprises eight people, though not all are involved in all projects.

Working Method

While the young artistic direction was initially supported in administrative tasks by the two organizing institutions, it became more independent after the first one to two seasons.

The group surrounding Kulturkeller Winkel decided for themselves that the space is a room for experimentation and try-outs, and therefore presented, curated, and advertised it as such.

The young artistic direction decided collectively how they would work together on administrative tasks related to their space, which opened the opportunity for the team to switch roles each season. Although the different tasks were clearly divided among the team members, they continued to work with very little hierarchy.