Berlin Symposium "Performing Arts Report"
May, 4th - 6th 2009
Academy of the Arts, Berlin
The Berlin Symposium will take place as an international conference from
May 4th to 6th 2009 within a context of national and international efforts
to support the arts and to secure artists' working and living conditions.
The Berlin Symposium will be organized by
-Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media
-German Centre of the International Theatre Institute
-Fonds Darstellende Künste, Germany
-Academy of the Arts, Berlin
in cooperation with
-Culture Action Europe
Culture is constantly cited as a motor for the European unification process,
and creativity is described as an essential competency and special resource
for the European continent. The present reality of working conditions
for creative individuals - and in our context this is exemplified by the
artists in the performing arts - is characterized by a continuing internationalization
of the contract and employment markets, the reduction of long-term employment
contracts, a decrease in contracts granted by public institutions and
the increasing influence of the private culture, media and new technology
economies.
The social statutes decision on June 7th 2007 by the European Parliament,
made in recognition of this context, demands that member states develop
and realise a legal and institutional framework to support artistic activity
through accepting and applying a group of coherent and expansive measures
that include contract relationships, social security, health insurance
and direct and indirect taxes in accordance with European regulations.
These statutes emphasize that the ?atypical and precarious character of
artists' working methods?, especially the ?atypical and precarious character
of all stage careers?, need to be acknowledged.
At present a variety of protagonists in European cultural politics are
introducing measures to advance mobility. Examples are the pilot projects
subsidized by the European Union for mobility in the arts and the conferences
"Artists Mobility - Aspiration or Reality" (November 2008 in
Dublin) and "New Avenues for the Dissemination of the Performing
Arts in Europe" (November 2008 in Paris). It is becoming more and
more clear that mobility and the sustainable protection of creative resources
are only compatible when art producers can work in a stable framework
with a future. This framework applies above all to the social, economic
and legal situation in professional art production.
This problem is now being addressed by the Berlin Symposium "Performing
Arts Report". Using specific examples, it will demonstrate which
deficits must be eliminated in the work conditions for artists in the
member states (German discourse will serve as an example). The European
dimension will be specifically dealt with in the symposium on the level
of overcoming existing asymmetries in and barriers to the compatibility
of social security systems, tax law and cooperation beyond existing borders.
The meeting should be placed in the following political context:
o the completion of the study on the economic, social and legal status
of professional dance and theatre makers in Germany (initiated by the
Fonds Darstellende Künste and ITI Germany), its calls to action and
the necessity for concrete reactions by policymakers;
o in a long-term context: the realization of the UNESCO agreement on cultural
diversity;
o in an EU framework: the European Cultural Agenda and the structured
dialogue with the cultural sector;
o existing initiatives to advance mobility in Europe, such as the pilot
projects on mobility sponsored by the EU;
o and the review of the EU Culture Programme (2007-2013) for improvements
at the horizon of 2014.
Given a spectrum of questions on how to support international cultural
exchange, the symposium will focus on the obstacles for artistic work
processes that result from artists' social, economic and legal positions.
The first day of this three-day symposium will consist of work meetings
for artists and representatives from the cultural-political sector.
The public opening of the symposium on the morning of the second day
of the conference will be performed by the Federal Government Commissioner
for Culture and Media (invited) and the EU Commissioner Jan Figel (invited).
In his keynote address Max Wyman, cultural researcher from Canada, will
focus on processes of globalization and increasing precariousness within
artistic professions.
Against this background the initiators of the study will on the second
day of the conference present its results, and open the debate, with cultural
politicians and networkers from Germany and Europe, on the necessary frameworks
to be debeloped to support artistic production on national and international
levels.
In work groups the study's results will be discussed further with partners
at a national level. The unique character of state social policy systems
in Germany will be particularly taken into account. Parallel to those
discussions, the study will also be placed in an international context.
The representatives of the four pilot projects on mobility supported by
the European Commission will discuss ways to better coordinate the multiple
support initiatives already in existence.
In plenary discussions international representatives of the political
and cultural scenes will explore strategies to translate into practice
the demands of the artistic actors. What goals are realistic? How can
national and international politics be better coordinated? What can we
learn from the past? What good practices have potential for the future?
The third day of the conference will capitalise on the discussions of
the previous days and structure the necessary steps towards concrete political
action. A high-level panel of EU representatives from different policy
fields will discuss ways to better coordinate initiatives and activities,
as well as the next steps on the political parquet.
To conclude policy recommendations will be formulated at national level,
addressed to the federal level and discussed with representatives from
all political levels.
On behalf of the organizing team
Michael Freundt
Ass. Director ITI Germany
Berlin, February 5th 2009
More Info:
German Centre of the International Theatre Institute
Tel +49 (0)30 / 791 17 77 / symposium@iti-germany.de
www.iti-germany.de
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