09/10 season

The Arts and Power-The 2009/10 season

I am delighted to use this – my very first opportunity – to welcome all friends of Bayer Arts & Culture to the new season’s programme of events.

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You have doubtless noticed that Bayer Arts & Culture has taken on a new look as it embarks on the second century of its rich history after two celebratory seasons. Our work is dominated by a blend of artistic content and a thematic approach, based on a common aesthetic philosophy. It is therefore vital to ensure that these principles are reflected in the way we communicate our programme.

Arts & Culture shines out in ruby red in the new Bayer Arts & Culture logo, and replaces our old designation as Bayer’s Cultural Affairs department. That is no coincidence: our aim is to raise our public profile – and above all to reach out beyond Leverkusen. That is why we have given our printed materials a new look to match our new image and added some publications. As well as our full-season prospectus, we will continue to publish our calendar-style posters of upcoming events, together with a new fold-out leaflet to replace the previous information bulletins. Both will be issued bimonthly. We hope that publishing details of events further in advance will help you plan ahead more effectively. Finally, posters will be used to draw attention to many individual highlights during the season.

We are also introducing a new arts magazine KUNSTstoff. This publication is for anyone who wants more detailed information about our programme of events. Each of the five editions will contain an editorial, an essay by a well-known author on the season’s central theme, profiles of our cooperation partners in Berlin, interviews and background information on upcoming productions. This new magazine provides wide-ranging insights into all aspects of the arts. To find about the other changes, visit our website at www.culture.bayer.com, where you can also register for our new online newsletter.

I took over as head of Bayer Arts & Culture in September 2008. That was quite late to start planning the next season’s programme. Apart from a few additions, which are outlined in detail in this booklet, I have therefore left the overall structure unaltered. However, you will notice that the names of most of the series of events have been altered to give them a more modern touch. There is also a separate section dedicated to our extended range of events aimed specifically at children, families and young people. We hope that will encourage even more children and young people to venture inside Bayer’s cultural centre.

The most striking change is doubtless that from now on each season will be built around a central theme featuring an aspect of our cultural heritage or artistic philosophy or a socially relevant topic. The theme for 2009/10 is The Arts and Power. Exploring such a multi-facetted topic from the viewpoint of music, theatre, dance and the visual arts is exceptionally stimulating. This new approach, which we will be pursuing in future seasons, opens up exciting perspectives and new opportunities to shape a programme of events. And naturally, every season will contain excursions into unrelated areas, enabling us to explore other themes as well. This season, for example, our chamber music programme is dedicated to Joseph Haydn and the origins of the string quartet

Other new features are stART, a new project to foster young artistes, the new cultural axis between Leverkusen and Berlin and our new In the Kulisse series. The popular Kulisse bistro in the Erholungshaus is the venue for a total of twelve events this season: Readings in the Kulisse will present topical literary themes, Jazz in the Kulisse will bring entertaining Sunday matinees with brunch for the whole family while Conversations in the Kulisse will centre on stimulating discussions with well-known film and television actors and actresses. The new season starts with a big bang – an opening party with the Cologne cult band Brings.

On the following pages you can read more about the changes we are bringing you as well as the projects underscoring this season’s wide-ranging theme – The Arts and Power.

I hope you enjoy reading about the events to come and wish you all an exciting, entertaining and varied season in 2009/10.

Yours

Dr. Volker Mattern
Head of Bayer Arts & Culture