This publication follows a Mobility Webinar organised by On the Move in March 2023 in order to explore the tensions between cultural mobility and parental responsibility in the EU and internationally.
This online event was an opportunity to reflect upon an episode of the podcast Points of Entry that was commissioned by On the Move and produced with the support of the French Ministry of Culture. It features a conversation with London-based journalist and critic Hettie Judah, author of the 2022 book How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and Other Parents). She addresses how discrimination against parenthood in the arts is an international issue, what arts professionals with caregiving responsibilities might need when they travel for their work, and what cultural organisations could do to be more parent-friendly.
Considering that transnational collaboration and mobility is an integral part of the trajectory of artists and culture professionals, On the Move wishes to investigate how our ecosystem considers and manages parenthood, particularly for women, at the different stages of the creative value chain.
Beyond summarising the key insights from past discussions, the aim is to present various grassroots initiatives and measures to support the cross-border mobility of parents. An analysis of open calls for cultural mobility opportunities posted to the On the Move website, as well as the takeaways of an extensive desk research into the recent literature on the topic, complement the report. Finally, this publication outlines recommendations to cultural operators and decision-makers for providing contextual support to arts workers with care-giving responsibilities.