Theater Lüneburg: Three-division building remains, orchestra is reduced in size!

Theater Lüneburg: Three-division building remains, orchestra is reduced in size!

The cultural committees of the Lüneburg district and the Hanseatic city recently had reason to be optimistic. It was unanimously recommended that the Lüneburg Theater be retained as a three-part theater. In view of the current situation, the realignment path should be pursued in order to secure the financial stability of the loss-making theater. The aim is to appeal to younger target groups and to increase visitor numbers, which have fallen particularly at operas and classical concerts. The focus is also on a socially acceptable adaptation of the orchestra, which currently has 29 members, in order to deal with new conditions. Terminations for operational reasons are excluded Uelzen press reported.

The austerity measures that have already been implemented are no coincidence. The theater is struggling with declining visitor numbers and is therefore planning drastic cost-cutting measures. In a culture committee meeting, possible measures such as the “socially acceptable” downsizing of the orchestra were discussed. In this context, employees and musicians express concern as they want to protest against the cuts. Musical demonstrations are planned to raise public awareness of their situation. The director of the opera choir, Steffen Neutze, emphasizes that they have received a lot of support from the cultural scene daily news reported.

Financial foundations of the theater

In order to ease the financial tension, the shareholders, consisting of the Lüneburg district and the Hanseatic city, have already agreed to secure the theater operations through loss compensation until 2027/2028. Nevertheless, the theater is planning a budget deficit of around 7 million euros, which is causing great uncertainty. Theater director Friedrich von Mansberg speaks of the urgency of making savings in order to be able to continue operations.

There is also support in Lower Saxony: the Minister of Education has announced that it will support the independent theater and dance scene with an amount of 500,000 euros annually until 2027. This funding is aimed at the conceptual development of the theaters and helps to create planning security. The aim is to support innovative concepts that address social issues such as fears or divisions in society. Comprehensive funding will help the operators of 19 venues to stabilize the cultural offerings. This support is an important step to revitalize culture in Lower Saxony Lower Saxony State Chancellery reported.

The decision on the realignment and the associated measures will be discussed by the decision-making bodies over the next two weeks. The voices of cultural workers from the region are important in defining a future course for the Lüneburg Theater. The coming months will decide what happens next and whether the theater can successfully address new target groups.