Kampnagel Hamburg
The former crane factors was first used as a temporary venue for Deutsches Schauspielhaus in 1982. Shortly after, independent artists in Hamburg began to perform at the site and thus saved it from being demolished. Since 1993, Kampnagel exists in its current structure and is institutionally supported by Hamburg’s ministry of culture and media.
With its six stages and a total of 1900 seats, a large foyer and an outdoor space, it presents an extraordinary frame for local and international productions. Both its own and commissioned productions range from dance, theatre, and performance to music, but also include visual arts, architecture, discursive formats, and parties. Interdisciplinary thematic focal points play an important role as they translate important concepts into curatorial and artistic theses.
With these unique artistic formats, they do not merely present existing social realities, but also develop alternative visions. The productive confrontation with local and global artistic approaches and international positions ensure a continuous expansion of our horizon. To create a transcultural practice is one of the main aims of Kampnagel – not simply on an aesthetic level, but also with regard to both the agents on and behind the stage and the audience.
Kampnagel is not simply a temple of the arts. It is an open space that connects to the society and its surrounding realities. The city of Hamburg, its communities and residents, are its area of investigation, its setting and a stage that is filled with mobile formats. Trans-disciplinary formats search for new forms of artistic practice, for a participation and knowledge transfer that moves beyond the scope of mainstream culture and generic categorizations. Since 2007 Amelie Deuflhard serves as director of Kampnagel.