KULTUR!BÜRO. Siegen-Wittgenstein
(North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)

Das Kultur!Büro. des Kreises Siegen-Wittgenstein

motor and communications centre for the conceptual development
and networking of arts and culture in the region

  

 
  • The Kultur!Büro. is a service facility of the Siegen-Wittgenstein district administration, being its arts and cultural events department although not a mere administration office itself.
  • The Kultur!Büro. offers a form of management and co-operation in cultural affairs which is new for the region: active, conceptual collaboration instead of just financial assistance and administration. In partnership with local artists, promoters and organizers the Kultur!Büro. is active in the development of arts projects and themes for cultural events throughout the district.
  • There is nothing office-like about the Kultur!Büro. It has an ambience ideal for sparking off creativity, spontaneous discussion and teamwork sessions. It is a forum for dialogue and visions, a workshop for new concepts and strategies in arts management, a place of learning by doing for anyone in the region involved in taking arts to the public.
  • The Kultur!Büro. is housed in the "Lÿz" Arts and Media Centre, where it has its own PR and desktop publishing facilities. In the same building there is a gallery which exhibits contemporary art from the region, a compact library of information brochures, as well as a "Little Theatre" for touring cabaret and variety acts or for local productions, and "Schauplatz", a stage equipped for experimental multimedia artforms.
  • Successful concepts are the result of discussions, team sessions and inquiries conducted by the Kultur!Büro., which develops not only its own projects but also ones suggested by its various regional partners (district councils, clubs, individuals etc.).
  • One focus of the Kultur!Büro.'s work is on organizing, part-financing, publicizing (product placement) and the running of cultural events, from small exhibitions to arts spectaculars of nationwide appeal.
  • Another of the Kultur!Büro.'s most important activities is compiling and making available the latest data from the field of arts and culture as a source of information and a medium to long-term planning aid for the media, private citizens, events organizers and all others involved with the arts.

 

A selection of Kultur!Büro. projects

 

 
  • The "Kulturhandbuch" (Arts Directory) for the Siegen-Wittgenstein district as a loose-leaf binder, periodically up-dated Veranstaltungskalender Kultur!Aktuell
  • Kultur!Aktuell, an information service for the media and a fortnightly cultural events calendar listing all dates throughout the region
  • The "Kleines Theater Lÿz", the "Little Theatre" available to local musicians, singers, actors, variety and revue artists for rehearsal and performances. Regular events ranging from political revues and variety shows to music concerts, whether with local acts or artists on tour, go to make up the "Lÿz" season, presented in two informative programmes per year.
  • The Arts and Media Centre "Lÿz", concept-planning and organization of the complete arts and cultural events programme in the "Kleines Theater" ("little theatre") and the "Schauplatz" (stage equipped for experimental multimedia artforms)
  • Concept-planning and on-site organization of the "Motor Omnibus Centenary" spectacular (March 1995)
  • KulturPur'97 KulturPur, an international festival of music and theatre (every Whitsun) in a marquee complex on the ridge of the "Rothaar" range of low mountains near Hilchenbach-LÜtzel (world-famous theatre troupes, international dance productions, musical top acts, comedy shows and open-air variety acts)
  • Paul McCartney paintings, World premiere in the "Kunstforum Lÿz".

 

A selection of Kultur!Büro. decorations

 

  • 1992:
    "Racism foreign friendship price" of the foreign representative of the city of Siegen, hands over to Georg Klein for the organization of the big event "Rassismus beSIEGEN"
  • 2000: 
    "German location price 2000" of the board of curators "alive city centre" (Kaufhof, ministries of NRW, publishing houses, AG of the retail dealers etc) hand over to Wolfgang Suttner for outstanding performances to the revaluation of the city centre because of Paul McCartney paintings (14/02/00)
  • 2000: 
    "Siegerländer Haubergsknipp", 
    hands over from the FDP-circle federation to Wolfgang Suttner for his special merits around the region (31/03/2000)
  • 2001: 
    1. Siegener Online-Award for the Internet-scene of Kreis-Kultur!Büros., 
    2. Place, but the best culture-Internet-scene of the region, hand over to Ralf Gerecht of the organizer's community to Siegen Virtuell (15/09/00)
  • 2001:
    Price of the ministry of economic affairs NRW for the draft of a Cultural founder's centre, lent from Minister Schwanhold to the circle of Siegen-Wittgenstein, hand over to Reinhard Kämpfer, economic promotion and Wolfgang Suttner, Kultur!Büro. (26/11/2001)
  • 2002: 
    1. Rock-Musikometer-Award of the fun-band "Handmade" 
    Because of the special merits of the Kultur!Büro. around the promotion of native musicians and artist (Kulturhandbuch), hand over to Wolfgang Suttner (25/01/02)

 

 

contact:

 

  • Wolfgang Suttner
    Kulturreferent des Kreises Siegen-Wittgenstein, Kultur!Büro.,
    Tel. 0271/333-2400 / Fax: 0271/331073 / WSuttner@siwikultur.de