Studio Leipzig

Curator: Alexander Pehlemann

Partner: UT Connewitz

UT Connewitz is an alternative cinema and event center in Leipzig. In 2001 the old silent movie theatre UT Connewitz in Leipzig was reopened just for one day for a community party called “Connewitzer Straßenfest” after being abandoned for more than 10 years. On that day more than 3000 people came to see this old theatre. The idea was born to reopen this special place for the neighbourhood. Shortly after that day the UT Connewitz e.V. was founded with 12 members and first events like big band concerts and silent movie live scores took place inside the rundown cinema while a bunch of volunteers – from punks to architects and students – tried to fix electricity, water, toilettes etc. during the daytime. The historic building was bought with the help of this community and a lot of neighbors giving small amounts of money – the cultural heritage building is owned by the association UT Connewitz e.V. since 2003.
Today our association has more than 200 members active in voluntary work around the association.

UT Connewitz has made a reputation as an important hub for musical innovation. The music program at UT Connewitz was awarded with the “APPLAUS – Auszeichnung der Programmplanung unabhängiger Spielstätten” prize granted by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and UT Connewitz was “Independent venue of the year” in 2015. The film program won several prizes too (2017 special prize for an alternative theatre by MDM – Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung). They are also proud the be awarded with the highest price for cultural heritage in Germany in 2012 for their efforts in the preservation of this special venue – the silver hemisphere.

www.utconnewitz.de