JULY 2020

It doesn't help to sugarcoat things: we desperately wish for the familiar performance routine with closeness, contact, interaction, disturbing background noise, happy and bored faces and everything else to return. Because we go on stage for our audience!
And yet there are positive effects at the edge of this chain of privations: for example, recent Bachelor graduate Stefania Secci raved about the highly concentrated atmosphere after her streamed double bass evening. "It was just so quiet and productive. Nothing distracted me and my thoughts belonged entirely to my instrument and the music. It was a very special experience." What's more, many more people were able to take part than usual. Her relatives from Italy sat in front of the screens and several fellow students joined in.
The good mood was also transmitted to the listeners of the live stream and therefore, despite all the "Achs!", we are looking forward to numerous streamed exam concerts in July and September, all of which you can find listed in our calendar of events. It continues on July 2!

Streamed concerts: yes, of course, but how do we manage the contact?
The HfMT Career Center asked itself this question and developed the "Interactive Concerts against Social Isolation" as part of Concert LAB / Stage_2.0, which have been very popular since the beginning of May. The focus of this idea is on the many people who are particularly suffering from the contact restrictions of the coronavirus crisis and the desire to create social proximity for them through the healing effect of music, but especially through the exchange of ideas.
The format is simple and good: half an hour of moderated concert, short break, then half an hour of dialog about the music listened to, but also about the attitude to life, the situation and how to deal with it. All technically produced and via the screen, of course, but with space for active participation. Not a one-sided performance by the artists, but with faces at the other, listening and receiving end of the line.

Partner is the senior citizens' residence "Hospital zum Heiligen Geist".
The concert series is initially planned on a weekly basis until the end of September and is open to all interested parties. The next concert will be given by Anna Olivia Amaya Farias (cello) and Andrey Denisenko (piano) on July 2 at 3.30 p.m.

The Claussen Simon Foundation has supported innovative university projects for digital teaching and learning with its "What counts!" fund. The Theaterakademie's application, "Art in Quarantine - Research-based Learning for the Theater", was successful.

As part of this, an online symposium entitled "Staging Quarantine" will take place on Friday, July 10, 2020. Theory and practice will enter into a dialog: In addition to contributions from theater studies, curatorial and artistic positions on theater during (and after) the cultural-institutional lockdown will be discussed.
In addition, students can present the results of their own artistic research from the creative semester. Where possible, joint relaxation exercises in front of the screen will be offered between the individual lectures and workshop formats.

The content of the symposium is as dynamic as the global situation, and we are currently finalizing it and will publish it in the HfMT calendar of events next week. But we already know that it will be highly interesting, relevant and varied.

In addition to the students and teachers of the Theatre Academy, we are opening the symposium to a maximum of 12 external guests: send us your participation request by 7 July to veranstaltungen@hfmt-hamburg.de for an invitation to the symposium, which we will realize via Zoom.

In line with the hygiene concept, "our Figaro" will get married on July 12 in an elegant semi-circle on the Forum stage, keeping a proper distance. Each singer in a marked position, musically accompanied by a small, fine, aerosol-free instrumental ensemble consisting of a string quintet, a flute and two oboes, clarinets, bassoons and horns. C'est ça!
Despite the slimmed-down version full of safety precautions, Hannah Gabor - our Barbarina - is delighted: "It's so incredibly nice to finally be working together again after such a long time. To hear and see each other and to be given the prospect of normality. Of course, you can feel the unusual circumstances. The atmosphere is humble and considerate and at the same time very efficient. And the distance on stage also has its charms. Expressing love and affection through physical closeness is easy, but can also be superficial. Working with more subtle gestures is more difficult, but also much more exciting."
In any case, there is no oppressive feeling and conductor Ulrich Windfuhr courageously motivates the audience to use the space to think big and theatrically.
A real gift at the end of the semester and a cautious first step back into ensemble playing.
"The Marriage of Figaro" can be experienced on July 12 at 6 pm in the livestream

STAY TUNED and enjoy the summer!
Your University of Music and Drama Hamburg