Efficacy

At the Goetheanum, too, the official ban on in-person events has resulted in the speeding up of digital developments.

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First, fewer and fewer people were permitted to attend events and then the Goetheanum was officially closed to the public. Co-workers then went on to create events which could be streamed live or as recordings. Even before the Coronavirus crisis, the Goetheanum had begun to invest in communication technologies. Since 2016 it has been working with a digital newsroom; film was increasingly explored as a medium for the new Faust production and was already available for contributions about the pandemic. All of this was, however, still part of a pilot project. Conferences require more knowhow and a different technology. A work group around Gerald Häfner brings the experiences and competences together that have been acquired at the Goetheanum and is finding out which systems are most economical.

It is too early to establish to what extent these technical investments will pay off. What is clear is that the more technology is used and the more income we gain through it, the closer we come to the goal of not only covering our costs but of making a profit. The budget of the Section for Mathematics and Astronomy has certainly benefitted from the web seminar on the Great Conjunction they offered in December, using the technologies and knowhow then available at the Goetheanum. The users are happy to go along: they attend and pay by credit card.

Digital technology changes the way events are run, leads to shorter units and allows for greater flexibility: all this requires much input in terms of preparation and availability. Broadcasting allows people who can otherwise not get to the Goetheanum to take part in the programmes it has to offer. What is clear nonetheless is that the Goetheanum sees the digital programmes as an additional service. The building itself will continue to be a place where people meet in person, without digital mediation.

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