"Who Owns the Stage?" – Macht­fra­gen in der Li­ve­Kul­tur

Festivals and clubs are considered places of collective experience, openness, and vision. But who really shapes these spaces—in terms of content, aesthetics, and organization? And whose perspectives are systematically missing?

This panel views the stage as a symbolic and structural site of social power relations. It asks not only who performs, but also: Who curates? Who organizes? Who has decision-making power over visibility, resources, aesthetics, and atmosphere? Who is allowed to fail, who has to prove themselves? The claim at the center is: The stage does not simply belong to “everyone.” Its supposed openness is based on historically grown exclusions, invisible hierarchies, and aesthetic norms. Festival production and club life are a cultural operating system – and this operating system needs to be updated if participation is to be more than just image cultivation. The focus is on the mentoring program “FLINTA+ in Live Culture” by the Federal Foundation for Live Culture, which starts where change begins: with those who shape visibility, spaces, and new narratives – on, in front of, and behind the stage.