Voices of Culture provides a framework for discussions between cultural stakeholders and the European Commission. The fourth topic of Voices of Culture 2019 – 2021 will ask questions about the challenges and opportunities for the status and working conditions of artists and cultural and creative professionals. How can new priorities, policies, actions and funding streams better address this issue?
Pre-COVID-19, the cultural and creative sectors were already characterised by fragile working practices. A fragmented organisation of creative value chains, often project-based and precarious work, non-profit character of many activities and (often not well-remunerated) IP-based revenue and income models are only a few of the elements contributing to this.
The COVID-19 crisis is causing immense losses in revenue opportunities and possibilities to perform art and cultural activities, with the more fragile players suffering the most. Longer-term effects relate to changes in cultural demand and engagement, the need for skills to cope with the new situation, risks of exacerbation of inequalities within the sector, brain drain from the sector and impoverishment of the diversity of expression.
In order to strengthen the sectors, it is essential to keep developing sustainable business models and to work on building an ecosystem that ensures decent living and working conditions for artists and cultural and creative professionals.
Voices for Culture seeks applications for a digital Brainstorming Meeting on 27 & 28 April 2021 and for a Dialogue Meeting in Brussels on the 29 June 2021 (digital if necessary) to share input on several areas of discussion:
- Income for artists and cultural and creative professionals, artists’ status.
- Mobility of artists and other cultural and creative professionals.
- Artistic freedom and freedom of expression.
- Voices of Culture participants will write a Brainstorming Report after the Brainstorming Meeting. In this report, the results of the discussion between participants at the Brainstorming Meeting will be expressed. This report will then be presented by participants to the European Commission at the Dialogue Meeting.
The call is open to representatives of the cultural and creative sectors (professional organisations, cultural institutions, non-governmental organisations, European networks, foundations, private organisations, etc.) with relevant expertise on the topic of Status and Working Conditions of Artists and Cultural and Creative Professionals who would like to contribute to discussions with the European Commission. Organisations applying must be from one of the 27 EU Member States.
