Meeting the needs of Zurich’s dance and theatre artists

Mary Staub looks at Brücki 235, an artist-led Zurich organisation that aims to help independent dance and theatre artists with rehearsal space and performance opportunities. Could it provide a model for cities elsewhere?

On the first evening of a three-day performance showcase at the Kulturhaus Helferei in Zurich’s old town this August, audiences found themselves mesmerised by the ebb and flow of Rubina De Paolis’ LASCIAR ANDARE, an abstract contemporary movement duet about letting go.

The next, the interactive performance stilles geld by radikal plüsch, forced viewers to consider the role of money in their and their neighbours’ lives with projections of financial data, such as the percentage of people in debt in distinct city districts, forming a backdrop to the piece. The works showcased on subsequent evenings were similarly varied, each the creative output of a different Zurich-based independent dance or theatre artist or collective.

This Helferei showcase was the fourth such performance block that the newly established non-profit organization Brücki 235 has brought to the public since its founding eighteen months ago. The next block, which is geared specifically to young audiences, takes place in November at a community centre.

The purpose of these largely uncurated showcases, each produced in collaboration with a distinct performance venue, is to give as many independent performing artists as possible a foot in the door, so diversifying whom is seen on this city’s stages and who starts to get access to public funding. It also broadens the range of work that Zurich audiences come into contact with, thereby giving them a more comprehensive understanding of the local artistic community than what is produced on established mainstages and through traditional streams of funding.

Brücki 235 came into being after large-scale city surveys revealed a dire lack of rehearsal space and performance opportunities for independent theatre artists, dance artists, and artists working for young audiences. This lack of space, funding, and visibility is by no means unique to Zurich. Comparative research into the realities of independent performing artists in thirteen European cities, conducted by The European Association of Independent Performing Arts, revealed similar deficiencies.

Following the survey, in November 2022, the city put out a call for proposals that would help begin to meet the needs of independent artists. For each of an initial four years, 250,000 Swiss Francs would be awarded to a proposal that could serve these artists by establishing rehearsal space on the one hand, and uncurated performance opportunities on the other.

Thus, Brücki 235 was born, a joint-initiative developed by members of three local dance and theatre associations: Assitej-Regiogruppe Zürich, representing theatre for young audiences; TanzLOBBY IG Tanz Zürich representing dance; and t. Zürich representing theatre.

Since May 2023, Brücki 235 has operated out of the second floor of a non-descript office building in Zurich’s former industrial quarters, Zurich West. There, a central administrative office with mini-kitchen, co-working space and lounge area is flanked by two 90 square-metre rehearsal rooms, one for dance, one for theatre.

One thing that distinguishes the Brücki 235 spaces from private dance studios is that the rehearsal spaces can be used completely free, as long as the artists are Zurich-based, professional, working within theatre, dance, and related performance styles, and not otherwise funded by the city of Zurich.

Another thing that distinguishes Brücki 235 is that it aims to be a collaboratively-run organization, operated for the independent theatre and dance community by that community, free from gatekeepers who dictate whose aesthetic, theme, or purpose is worthy of being practiced and seen.

A so called ‘Szenerat’ (scene council) is tasked with deciding how to shape the performance showcases. How many groups should perform each evening? How should the available budget be divided to compensate the artists? If too many artists or artistic groups register for a showcase, how should the performers be selected in a way that still maintains its uncurated nature? These scene council members are selected by lottery every year, and rotate, thereby ensuring that no one particular interest group or aesthetic holds the reins over who appears. Anyone from the independent performing arts scene can put themselves into the lottery pool.

Additionally, the entire Zurich-based independent theatre and dance community has a voice in how Brücki 235 evolves. Multiple times a year, all Zurich-area performing artists are invited to workshop new ideas, propose projects, voice concerns, suggest better ways of operating, or similar. Recent changes that resulted from these inputs include the establishment of a Telegram channel for users to post last-minute cancellations for reserved rehearsal studios.

Despite the collaborative decision-making processes at Brücki 235, it’s striking just how quickly things get done. Within three months of being awarded funding, the people at the heart of the organisation had transformed office spaces into rehearsal space, developed operating procedures, launched a website, built a prop storage space, built partnerships with already-established performance venues, and informed the independent dance and theatre scene of the new rehearsal and showcase opportunities.

That performance opportunities happen at existing venues, rather than on a siloed stage created specifically for independent artists, hopefully means that artists will become more visible as a part of the city’s artistic makeup. Since launching, about120 distinct performing artists or collectives have become members and users of the Brücki 235 spaces. About 90 have performed on Zurich stages who would otherwise not have, which may be a first step towards getting more financial support too.

As Michael Rüegg, in charge of theatre and dance for the city of Zurich, said in a recent interview with Swiss radio SRF, “It [Brücki 235] is used a lot. People show up who we haven’t seen before. There is hope that communities or groups who previously did not partake in the cultural funding system will find an entryway here.”

Whether Brücki 235 will remain a part of Zurich’s dance and theatre landscape beyond its first four years remains to be seen. What is clear, though, is that such innovation in the independent performing arts scene is desperately needed.

Perhaps similar endeavours could serve independent performing artists in other European cities too.

To read more about Brücki 235, visit bruecki235.ch (in German)