Never before has Dieter Reiter spoken so richly in gestures and facial expressions. In the courtyard in front of the Gasteig, the Lord Mayor is surrounded by a group of artists who can’t hear or speak. A sign language interpreter translates what this very active community makes to the mayor for suggestions. Susanne Kermer is also there, a “deaf performer”. That is, she transmits music or drama through her moving gesture art for the deaf. And in this way she also translates to hearing people how the deaf feel when they see concerts or art – for example in the finale of “The Voice Kids”. As OB you can only learn from this liveliness in expression. Sometimes Reiter holds his head theatrically, sometimes his fingers type on an imaginary keyboard. “Write to me!” is what it means.
Dieter Reiter and his wife Petra have invited 600 deserving artists to the annual cultural reception. This time, according to the head of the town hall, the celebrations should not be as exclusive as the year before in the garden of the Lenbachhaus. This time everything should be “inclusive” in front of the dilapidated Gasteig, which has just been revived by the temporary use “Fat Cat”. That’s why 50 or 60 artists with different disabilities are invited. “Ten percent, that’s roughly the proportion of people with disabilities in the entire population,” says concert photographer Itje Kleinert from “Barrierefrei celebrations”. Many of the guests suggested the initiative themselves, such as Erwin Aljukic, the best-known German TV face with brittle bone disease, the actress and musician Lucy Wilke (Blind & Lame) or the visual artist Katrin Bittl, who is affected by muscular atrophy and who, for example, provides people from well-known paintings with handicaps in her versions.
Since a site visit in May, the initiative has been involved in making the reception more handicapped-friendly: Speech transcripts are distributed in advance, induction loops are connected to hearing aids for better understanding, and a red plastic floor has been laid. “Cobblestones are the final enemy for us wheelchair users,” says Madeleine Söltl, and explains the concept of the barrier-free initiative “as an expert in her own right”: “Get there, get in, get by.” A disaster almost happened when they got there: In the afternoon, the news came that the elevators at the Rosenheimer Platz S-Bahn station were broken, and many guests could not have arrived. In the evening everything went.
Kammerspiele director Barbara Mundel (middle) and mayor Katrin habenschaden.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
And so Reiter steps out in front of what appears to be a truly diverse crowd to boast about some of his cultural merits. Like the “love marriage” of the Philharmoniker with the new chief conductor Lahav Shani, the new barrier-free city library in Riem, and last but not least the “temporary use highlight” Fat Cat, which is unique in Europe. Although the new tenants are only just getting set up in the fairly cheap rooms, although they are planning many community events such as open house days, and although chief organizer Christian Kiesler is now also upgrading the halls for a cultural program, although nobody is in a hurry with it Moving out, Reiter announced that the Gasteig renovation would be launched in the fall if possible.
Organizer Till Hofmann, Wolfang Heckl, Head of the Deutsches Museum, and CSU City Councilor Manuel Pretzl (from left to right).
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
With the prospect of a radiant new beacon of culture, Reiter apparently also wants to lure Minister of State for Culture Markus Blume, whom he did not welcome at the beginning of the speech, but to whom he offered a joint performance and payment of the Philharmonie by the city and the state: “Call me, but don’t wait too long…!” His motto: “Who knocks out, knocks out!” Culture consultant Anton Biebl puts this more precisely: “It won’t work without structural changes.” Last but not least, to make the Gasteig fit for visitors with disabilities.
Relaxed mood in the inner courtyard of the old Gasteig, now called Fat Cat.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
The guests from the barrier-free initiative certainly appreciated such promises, but still see a lot of room for improvement. For example, many clubs and stages are not accessible, said Max Head from the folk rock band Botánica Loca. Before Reiter could set off for the next cultural highlight (“Bruce Springsteen’s concert on Sunday”), the bass player watched him with his walker: “Can we talk, from musician to musician?”