Theater, movies, classical music, children’s theater, concerts, and more...
“Ki” – Kulturinitiative Warstein e.V.
Civic engagement to preserve a cultural event venue
in conjunction with the founding of a semiprofessional cultural organization
Demolition is planned
In 2011, Warstein city officials and politicians considered demolishing the “Theateraula” building at
in Warstein-Belecke. Renovation work
—specifically regarding fire safety, ventilation, heating, and stage technology
—had become necessary, and the expected costs seemed disproportionate to the
benefits, namely the preservation of a building that, while impressive, was hardly ever used for events
anymore (both consequences of the city’s financial crisis).
A movement is forming
This impending demolition of the auditorium has now sparked a broad movement among citizens
who were driven by the desire to preserve this proud structure
but who were also aware that this would mean filling this space
with life once again, that is to say: to provide cultural offerings—because the
city’s cultural offerings (aside from the renowned “Kupferhammer Concerts” series at
) were virtually nonexistent. Moreover, there was already an urgent need in the town for such a vibrant and
diverse cultural program to improve the
quality of life and living conditions!
Thus, in November 2011, the “Kulturinitiative Warstein e.V.” (Ki) was founded.
The initiative is launching
To highlight the need for a cultural center in Warstein, the
initiative kicked off as early as October 2011 with a concert by the well-known Warstein singer
“Rio – the Voice of Elvis” and, on the same weekend, a classical concert featuring
two grand pianos, hosted by the Warstein-born Grieg specialist Prof. Dr. Patrick
Dinslage (member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences). This was followed by theater for
adults and children, cabaret, music events, and poetry slam
evenings.
The enthusiastic public response convinced the community that this auditorium had to be preserved
. Numerous meetings with political parties also paved the way for the city council members to soon pass a resolution for its renovation
based on a well-crafted plan from the administration
.
In the meantime, a volunteer team of twelve people was formed to organize and oversee planned
events. These took place until mid-2012 in the “old”
auditorium and, during the renovation phase, at various venues such as the
“Warsteiner Welt” and “Haus Kupferhammer.”
The association’s membership exceeded 200 in 2015.
Scope of Events
The number of events has steadily increased. From five events in 2011
and 15 in 2012 to 51 events in 2019; a further increase is expected in the current year
.
The Ki team also grew—to as many as 40 people, depending on the event!
Ki is taking over the “cultural programming”…
Some time after the reopening of the Neue Aula in 2013, Ki received an offer from the city of
Warstein to take over cultural operations at the Neue Aula on its own
. An agreement was quickly reached during negotiations. The contract was signed on May 5,
, 2014.
… and is growing ...
This made it easier to expand the program to include events in cooperation with
Warstein-based institutions and organizations. At the same time, the program’s own
offerings became more ambitious: For example, Ki engaged prominent artists such as Jan-Josef
Liefers or Wolf Maahn, cabaret artists like René Steinberger, and theaters such as the Bauturm-
Theater in Cologne, the Junge Bühne in Göttingen, and even the Bochum Schauspielhaus.
The next expansion of the program offerings was the founding of “DoKino,” a
monthly film series held every other Thursday in the style of “art house cinemas.” This year, for the third time,
was able to take on the screening of films as part of the “NRW School Cinema Weeks”
!
Subsequently, the children’s theater performances were institutionalized—as “KiKiBü” (Ki-
Children’s Stage): Six times a year on Sunday afternoons, independent groups from the children’s and youth theater scene in the
region come to Warstein to offer the little ones (and the grown-ups, too…)
imaginative theater performances.
The most recent expansion of the children’s program segments was the acquisition of the “Warstein Kupferhammer Concerts” chamber music series, which has been in existence for over 50 years at
. The “
” feature six high-caliber concerts annually by renowned artists, mostly at the “Haus Kupferhammer” in Warstein (
), as well as the city’s New Year’s Concert—held in the Neue Aula (
)—which attract visitors from far beyond Warstein!
It is, according to the unanimous opinion of the volunteer Ki team, a demanding but
fulfilling way to spend one’s free time. We are driven to bring new ideas to life, to
enhance our town’s appeal, and thereby send positive energy to our residents.
The Lohn has always been—and continues to be—the satisfied Ki visitors from Warstein and the surrounding area. And
despite initial skepticism, expectations have been met—Warstein once again has a
sophisticated and appealing cultural offering, and with it, a little more quality of life and
quality of stay!
“Ki” – Kulturinitiative Warstein e.V.
Michael Römer (1st Chair) Werner Braukmann (2nd Chair)