»Musicboard has also faced major challenges with the Corona pandemic. I’ve been impressed by the great commitment and drive that have led to quick, effective solutions to support the music scenes, despite the circumstances.« – Dr. Klaus Lederer, Senator for Culture and Europe in Berlin
For many artists, the year 2020 meant a big step back: with tours and festivals cancelled, a main source of income vanished from one week to the next. This was one reason why the Musicboard and its jury granted more than twice as many scholarships as in the previous year, including the Rio Reiser Sonderstipendium, which was awarded on the occasion of the Berlin icon’s 70th birthday. In addition to the many individual scholarships, the residency programme was also adjusted to offer domestic residencies and the new artist-based Label Funding programme was launched.
In the programmes Karrieresprungbrett Berlin, Pop im Kiez, and Festival Funding, it was plain to see that Berlin is as innovative as it is resilient: concepts were quickly reworked by funding recipients to conform to Corona regulations, mostly implemented online or with smaller capacities. Through our Corona-related Special Call for Concepts for Pop Music Projects, around 25 other pandemic-compatible concepts could be realised, proving that safety and solidarity with the most vulnerable in society need not be at odds with communal experiences. Like many other Musicboard-funded projects, they built bridges between the city and the rest of the world, from one scene to the next and directly into the homes of their audiences.
On short notice, the Pop-Kultur festival and Fête de la Musique both reinvented themselves in online formats, while on 3rd of October the Tag der Clubkultur (»Day of Club Culture«) took place, organised by the Clubcommission Berlin in co-operation with Musicboard and the Senate Department for Culture and Europe. It highlighted 40 clubs and collectives across the city, letting them present their utopian visions of collective, cultural experience during these seemingly dystopian times.
The Musicboard Berlin Annual Report 2020 provides a complete overview of all supported artists, music projects and festivals in the past year.
Download:
Annual Report 2020
