The federal special fund for cultural events has placed a banner on its website: "Warning: new cancellation option until January 31, 2022 - events can be canceled voluntarily".

Of course that's a help.

Or incentive: For all those who have dared to plan with international artists and now have to look into the yawning empty halls.

Then it's better to cancel or postpone as a precaution and benefit from the aid money.

Which in most cases would not have been necessary had Hessen not decided on such a rigid shortage of places in the latest Corona regulation.

Experiencing a maximum of 250 people in a hall like the Alte Oper Frankfurt is not only economically and aesthetically unreasonable.

The editions fail to recognize once again that there is a huge difference whether people who have been vaccinated twice or three times with a current test, FFP2 masks and intervals quietly follow a concert, a play or an opera - or whether mottled groups sway with one another.

A tragedy backstage

In addition, the fact that the salami tactic of ever further reducing the number of seats is forcing the large houses to reschedule three times within four weeks to the point of extreme tension, while smaller theaters pull the rip cord and close completely, is a tragedy that is not on, but in front of and behind the stage takes place.

The public has slowly returned to the theaters, concert halls and museums, that's one thing. The hygiene concepts of the cultural organizers have obviously supported so far, that is the other thing. And anyone who has experienced those who, in every age group, are happy to take all the hurdles in order to perceive art as a vital good, can hardly understand why it is made so difficult for the organizers. There is a hail of rejection after rejection, mainly for economic reasons, and there are also costs for reversals. Only a minority consider it socially intolerable to make art while Omikron is approaching.

With the tightening of the ordinances at the turn of the year, other federal states have drawn up clearly differentiated specifications for theaters and art houses.

It is understandable that the artistic director of the Frankfurt Opera, Bernd Loebe, is annoyed that there is no difference between “major cultural events” - whatever that should be - and theater and opera performances.

Hopefully those who continue under these conditions will not be discouraged.

Neither in the audience nor beyond the ramp.