Sponsor
The Felicitas and Werner Egerland Foundation has
dedicated themselves to the promotion of young people in Europe.
With this foundation, entrepreneur Felicitas Egerland implemented what had always been a concern of her and her husband: supporting young people in the fields of art, culture and science. The global orientation of her former company, Werner Egerland Automobillogistik, with its numerous contacts in other European countries, was the reason for working on the foundation's goals throughout Europe.
The foundation, which is based in Osnabrück, aims to realize and promote youth work projects through which the interest of children and young people in artistic activities and cultural and scientific topics is awakened. This is done by supporting non-profit projects and events for children and young people in these areas, as well as granting scholarships and allowances for education and training.
Interview about CHOREOS with Prof. Dr. Felix Osterheider
(Vice Chairman of the Foundation)
CHOREOS was founded from scratch by Stephan Lutermann. What makes CHOREOS so extraordinary?
It starts with the name, which carries the elements "choir" and "choreography" as well as "Osnabrück," the seat of our foundation. Then: In today's age of digitalization, transformation and online hype, relying on such an artistic concept requires courage and confidence. Confidence in fellow artists who are ready to embark on something entirely new. Confidence in an audience that has to get involved in a completely new way and leave proven listening habits behind. And confidence that a reliable sponsor will be found to accompany them on the path towards "terra incognita".
What drew you to this project and why did you decide to support it?
On the one hand, this project is a worthwhile experiment from our point of view, so that great works of our culture do not gather dust, but can be experienced in a new way. We need highlights like this, which are emotional and immersive, if cultural education is also to succeed for new target groups. On the other hand, we admire the high artistic and organizational standards of this start-up company, which is reminiscent of our founders, who have also been highly courageous and successful in the entrepreneurial field. And we know and trust the founder, Stephan Lutermann.
The choir is young and international - what form of dialogue do you hope for between the singers in such turbulent (political) times?
Music connects - a commonplace wisdom. And yet true: to rally behind an artistic goal, to seek to achieve it with the help of musical excellence, and to do it all with high performance - that is pure understanding. The common experiences, the common endurance and the common success will shape the actors of CHOREOS for the rest of their lives. This stabilizes and sets audible signs against a political aberration.
If you were to take on the role of an uninvolved spectator, what expectations would you have of a CHOREOS performance?
We expect excellence, empathy and honesty from a CHOREOS performance: the work should succeed, the participants should be involved with joy and charisma, and the makers should analyze and discuss the experiment honestly ex post with their sponsor.