Corona and inflation caused a decrease in the number of viewers in the cultural sector. Energy prices are the next downer.
After two and a half years of the pandemic, people are only hesitantly venturing back into the theatre, cabaret or concert stages. It is not uncommon for more than every second spectator seat to remain free.
It’s a triple crisis: on the one hand, the scene is still feeling the aftermath of the long shutdowns. In addition, inflation contributes to the fact that people (have to) do without cultural events. Now the enormous increases in energy prices are also striking.
“Energy costs are a factor in our industry,” says artist manager Georg Hoanzl, who runs the Theater im Park in the Schwarzenberggarten together with Michael Niavarani. “But the priority is for the public that was lost in the pandemic to find itself again. The lack of purchasing power also means that people can no longer participate in social life. That weakens the cohesion.”
Organizer Peter Föstl, manager of Austropop icon Wolfgang Ambros, follows a similar line. “People wait and buy tickets at short notice. We notice that the question is increasingly being asked: can I still afford it in this situation?” The organizers will also have to ask themselves this question in the future – the heating of halls is just as much an energy guzzler as stage technology.
Scene is an “essential source of energy”
“We will do everything we can to protect cultural institutions in order to guide them through this crisis in the best possible way. Ultimately, art, culture and science are indispensable energy sources for a society”, the Viennese alderman for culture wants to support Veronica Kaup-Hasler (SPÖ).
The performers themselves insist on independence: “I don’t want to depend on a party to play my concerts and shows,” says Wolfgang Ambros, as usual, in clear terms. After an illness, the singer is on the mend again. Dozens of shows in Austria and Germany are on the calendar until November.
It remains to be hoped that they can rise despite Corona and the energy crisis. And the next cultural lockdown is not in the house.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
