TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund is realized through a cooperative partnership between Dachverband Tanz Deutschland e. V. and Bureau Ritter gUG (limited liability) (formerly DIEHL+RITTER gUG).
The Dachverband Tanz Deutschland is responsible for the cultural-political process, cultural-political advisory and networking activities, including all communication tasks for initiating projects, moderating the process, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the funding program, as well as strengthening dance at the municipal and state levels.
Bureau Ritter gUG is responsible for the conception, design, and implementation of the TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund funding fund, including all tasks related to the application, advisory, and jury procedures, funding agreements, disbursement, as well as the auditing and accounting of project funding.
The Dachverband Tanz Deutschland (DTD) has been working as a nationwide platform for artistic dance in Germany since 2006. Founded with stakeholders’ awareness that dance must speak with one voice in the German political landscape, the DTD is today a network of the most important dance associations and institutions. It draws up position papers and concepts for the promotion of dance in Germany, develops campaigns and initiatives and implements them in its projects.
Members of the association include the Academy of Arts, tanzhaus nrw, HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts, representatives of the Berlin State Ballet and the Bavarian State Ballet, as well as the German Conference of Ballet and Dance Theater Directors (BBTK), the Society for Dance Research, and the Association of Dance Archives.
In 2012, the umbrella organization Tanz Deutschland initiated a working group (later the Initiative Group for Dance Promotion) to develop dance promotion in Germany. It coordinated an intensive dialogue with municipalities and federal states, conducted in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Culture (BKM). This process was consistently reflected upon and fed back into the dance community. This effective collaboration gave rise to TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund.
Since 2016, in addition to TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund, it has been involved in the nationwide funding programs Tanzland-Fonds for guest performance collaborations and Kreativ-Transfer, and since 2018 has been the sponsor and organizer of the German Dance Prize. From 2020 through the end of 2024, the umbrella organization Tanz Deutschland is implementing the funding programs DIS-TANZEN, DIS-TANZ-START, and tanz:digital as part of NEUSTART KULTUR, the dance support program.
For many years, Bureau Ritter has been developing new perspectives for art, culture, and education—with a particular focus on dance. Based in Berlin, this nonprofit organization works closely with strong partners from the fields of cultural policy, public administration, and artistic practice, collaborating with them to launch long-term programs aimed at strengthening the dance scene in Germany and Europe. In doing so, Bureau Ritter sees itself as an active shaper of social transformation processes—in dance and far beyond.
As the managing organization of the “TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund” funding program, Bureau Ritter brings extensive experience in the design and implementation of complex funding programs. The focus is always on the question of how artistic development can be facilitated, collaborations strengthened, and sustainable structures created.
The work of the bureau is shaped by its founder and managing director, Madeline Ritter, who has launched numerous groundbreaking initiatives for dance over the past two decades. From 2005 to 2010, she conceived and led the Federal Cultural Foundation’s “Tanzplan Deutschland” match-funding initiative, which became an international model and mobilized 21 million euros for dance. Together with Ingo Diehl, she subsequently developed the “Tanzfonds Partner” and “Tanzfonds Erbe” programs. For many years, Madeline Ritter has been actively involved in the Tanz initiative group, advocating for sustainable funding structures in dance and for stronger collaboration between the federal government, states, and municipalities.
In 2015, with the support of the Bundestag’s Budget Committee and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Bureau Ritter founded the Dance On Ensemble for professional dancers over 40 and launched the international program “DANCE ON,” which explores the theme of dance and aging. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization made an important contribution to stabilizing the German dance and cultural scene through programs such as “TANZPAKT RECONNECT” and “Ins Freie!” (in collaboration with the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art), made an important contribution to stabilizing the German dance and cultural scene.
Bureau Ritter is currently carrying out national and European collaborations and research projects that provide innovative impetus for cultural institutions, dance, and society. These include, among others, “Next Steps” in collaboration with the Crespo Foundation, “The Day After Tomorrow – New Models for Cultural Institutions” with the German Federal Cultural Foundation, and “DanceMap,” a European research network with 15 partner organizations dedicated to preserving Europe’s dance heritage.