Witten’s cultural scene is thrilled that BLAUES RAUSCHEN is now also taking place in our city. This co-production comes at just the right time: together we are embarking on a search for contemporary forms of expression of digital culture – at the exciting interfaces between electronic music, urbanity and virtuality and the digital arts in the Ruhr region.

With the digital laboratory in the Saalbau, our stages and a foyer that was given a new lease of life last year, we have created newly defined places of production that are just waiting to be enlivened. Directly following the annual Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik, this year, thanks to the tirelessly dedicated work of everyone involved and the generous support of Neue Künste Ruhr, we are hosting another festival that pushes forward the search for openness in terms of genre. We are looking forward to bringing the producing artists and a curious audience together in Witten. The local scene, our internationally networked fellows for urban digital culture and many dedicated electronic musicians, DJs and producers in the city really want to get to know you and take part in the program.

After all, we really enjoy having artists as guests who help us advance our content. Together, we promote and challenge our (digital and analog) infrastructures and with every new production that is developed specifically for our Saalbau or performed there, we get a more differentiated picture of what the performance theater of the future can be: An open and inviting place for the community – enlivened by an exciting, colorful and innovative program that is accessible to all.

The Kulturforum team wishes the BLAUES RAUSCHEN 2024 festival the artistic friction it needs to create something new at the performance venues in the Ruhr region. We look forward to your visit to Witten!