Additional project funding and world premiere for Kunstfest Weimar

Weimar, August 30, 2023.
The Kunstfest Weimar is pleased to announce further support for its project "Kriegsweihe" from the Thuringian State Chancellery. For the closing gala of the four-day, interdisciplinary urban space concert, the house of Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff, Thuringian Minister for Cultural, Federal and European Affairs, granted additional project funding in the amount of 15,000 euros. This commitment will make it possible for the "Kill Krieg" gala to take place next Sunday at the German National Theater (DNT) with the participation of the Kiyv Symphony Orchestra, which has been based in the Thuringian exile town of Gera since the beginning of the war. Until now, only the participation of a number of members of the orchestra in the performance was announced. Now, a total of 40 members of the leading Ukrainian orchestra will be able to participate. As a result, at short notice, the premiere of the approximately ten-minute orchestral work "The Prayer" composed by Marc Sinan as an epilogue to "Kill War" will be possible as the finale of the project under the direction of the Serbian conductor of Premil Petrovic. This opens the chance to reenact the work in October in two more festivals in Belgrade and Novi Sad. "Kill Krieg" on 03 September at 20:00 h is an abysmal, music-theatrical gala for singer Jelena Kuljic (We), actor Julian Mehne (the war), pianist Magdalena Cerezo-Falces, a player piano and the Belgrade ensemble Metamorphosis. The work, based on a text by Austrian author Lydia Haider, revolves around forgotten responsibility, contempt that drives our societies to war, hope for redemption, human hubris, unbridled intoxication and the order that protects man from himself.

The approximately one-and-a-half-hour musical tour de force at the DNT will be framed by three sound installations and two performances in the cityscape, as well as a duel between two 50-piece amateur wind ensembles on Theaterplatz on Sunday afternoon. This results in a total of four days of performative cityscape concerts by the composer and director Marc Sinan, which will reach the visitors:inside and residents:inside Weimar already from Thursday 31.08. 16:00 h at various stations in the center of Weimar. At the same time, the project marks another highlight and the half-time of this year's Kunstfest Weimar, which will continue to keep the city and region artistically in suspense with drama, dance, music theater, performance, film and art until September 10. The organizers of the largest festival for the contemporary arts in eastern Germany were very satisfied with the course of events so far. "In the first week of the festival, the audience flocked and the national and international press response was overwhelming. It is remarkable with how much sympathy not only the large scenic projects, but also the reading and discourse events of the Kunstfest have been received. This indicates a strong need for discussion in our society," said artistic director Rolf C. Hemke on Wednesday. Many of Kunstfest Weimar's events are free or offer a low admission price in light of inflation. Sunday's "Kill Krieg" gala can be experienced for a flat rate of seven euros.

Download photos here www.kunstfest-weimar.de/presse

Contact:
KUNSTFEST WEIMAR
Rathenauplatz 6 | 99423 Weimar
Tel | 03643 – 755 292
Email |marcus.graenz@nationaltheater-weimar.de
kunstfest-weimar@imketramnitz.de