Press Release - "Alternative Culture" invites artists and cultural operators to participate in the specialised workshops for the definition of a status of the artist in Romania.

During the period October 1-21, the project "Alternative Culture" invites artists and cultural operators in a series of expert working meetings in the main regions of the country.

The meetings will take place in groups devoted to specific cultural areas, according to the following schedule:

• October 1st, Timișoara, Ambasada – Casa Plai, Str. Anton Seiller, Nr. 2, Hour: 12:00 PM
  Areas: Theatre, Dance, Music
• October 4th, Târgu Mureș, Teatrul 3G, Str. Avram Iancu, nr. 2, Hour: 12:00 PM

Areas: Theatre, Dance, Music

• October 8th, Cluj, Reactor de creație și experiment, Str. Petöfi Sándor, Nr. 4, Hour: 12:00 PM

Areas: Theatre, Dance, Music

• October 11th, Iași Universitatea Națională de Arte „George Enescu” Iași, Str. Cuza-Vodă, Nr. 29, Hour: 12:00 PM

Domain: Heritage

• October 21st, Bucharest, Casa Filipescu Cesianu – Muzeul Municipiului București, mansardă, Calea Victoriei, Nr. 151, Hour: 12:00 PM

Domain: Visual Arts

Participants' entries can be made on-line, on the Alternative Culture website, on the https://statutulartistului.ro/intalniri-de-lucru-specializate/

“"Because the only way that you can impose on changing the rules is the direct participation in the writing of it and because we did not want to mime the dialogue, I invite you to talk about what is vital today to change the paradigm." says Adriana Zaharia who will lead the discussions within this phase of the project, as a Facilitator of Social Dialogue. says Adriana Zaharia, who will lead the discussions at this stage of the project, as a Social Dialogue Facilitator.

"The themes that we wish to achieve in question are: the official Status of the artist. Is it necessary? Is it possible? How is seen here the Slovak model to define artist? Is there a definition that covers all situations in which one can find as an artist? Copyright/related rights. How is positioned at this time the artist in this financial mechanism? Freedom of expression in art is a custom, or needed to be ensured by law? The right to health. There are specific medical needs (occupational disease) to be taken into account by a professional Charter? Tax deductions (or not) depending on the subdomain (the starting point of the german model). ". ”

ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE ARTIST

Adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in 1980, the recommendation concerning the Status of the artist asked all Member States to improve the professional status of the artists, through the implementation of measures and policies in the fields of education, social insurance, labour market conditions, revenue and taxation, mobility and freedom of expression. The recommendation resulted in the recognition of the right of artists to organize into unions and professional organizations to represent and defend their interests.

In all countries, some artists are hired for their work, enjoying the same rights as employees in other professional fields. If they are independent, the specifics of their work do not allow them to earn benefits in times when they are not employed, even if they have already acquired a qualification or work for their creations or works. The number of artists employed is, in all countries, much lower than the number of self-employed.

In 2015 a Report made for UNESCO on the basis of a survey conducted in the 2014, including reports on the Status of the artist in various Member States there are some examples: In the field of social protection, in Germany, for example, there is Kunstler Sozialkasse (KSK), the social security trust fund intended for artists. To require contributions they have to record works within the last five years. Over 150 000 artists benefit from medical insurance and pension, some even receiving unemployment insurance. The Fund is fed at a rate of 50% of the artists, the other half coming from the Federal Government and from those using artistic creations and artists (book publishers, television and radio stations, art galleries and companies).

In Austria, some artists are supported by insurance fund Artists (Künstlersozialversicherungsfondsgesetz). Subscribed are visual artists, theatrical performers, musicians, writers, film makers and visual artists. The programme is fed only from the contributions of the artists. Subsidies from the State enters into account if artists earn between 4743 and 23718 EUR/year. Subsidies are provided by contributions from companies, cable and broadcast companies that sells satellite receivers and decoders.

In Slovakia, the artists contribute a percentage of 2% of own revenue to social programs other than those provided by the public health system. Funds are used to provide support, upon request for the artists in the form of monthly amounts or grants for specific situations, in cases of illness, old age or other grants. Artists can benefit from this Fund to settle their medical treatments, either partly or completely, depending on the situation.

In the United States, professional unions of artists, including the Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Writers Guild of America, the American Federation of musicians, actors Equity Association and the Directors Guild of America, realize broad and successful programs to provide medical insurance and pensions to members who had worked consistently along their career path.

ABOUT ALTERNATIVE CULTURE PROJECT

The "Alternative Culture" project was selected for funding under the 2014-2020 Administrative Capacity Operational Program and is co-funded by the European Union from the European Social Fund. . This program aims to create a modern public administration capable of facilitating socio-economic development through competitive public services, investment and quality regulation, thus contributing to the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy.

The project ”Alternative Culture” aims to strengthen the capacity of NGOs and relevant actors in the cultural field to initiate, promote, implement and monitor public policies adapted to the current cultural context from Romania in order to improve and its synchronisation with the european and international cultural environment and to formulate an alternative proposal on the status of the artist in Romania.

The "Alternative Culture" project is initiated and developed by the Flower Power Cultural Association, whose mission is to create projects and programs that support the activities of young artists, the real communication between them and the other institutions and entities that can support or contribute to the development of their projects and to support the involvement of artists in various fields: education, vocational training, cultural events, formulating of cultural policies adapted to the international cultural context.

"Alternative culture” is a project supported by TVR, RFI, Radio Romania Cultural, Observator Cultural, Romania Libera, Modernism.ro, Docuart.ro, Romania's National Commission for UNESCO.The workshops are carried out in partnership with Embassy-Timișoara, Teatrul 3G-Târgu Mureș, Reactor de Creație și Experiment-Cluj, National University of Arts "George Enescu" in Iași –Iași și Casa Filipescu Cesianu-Muzeul Municipiului București-București.

Contacts "Alternative Culture" project's representatives:

Email: contact@statutulartistului.ro

Social Pages www.facebook.com/statutulartistului.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cultura-alternativa-042365164/

Website: https://www.statutulartistului.ro

Project Manager

Daniela Apostol

daniela.apostol@statutulartistului.ro

Communication Responsible, President of the Flower Power Cultural Association

Anca Roxana Constantin van der Zee

anca.constantin@statutulartistului.ro

Online enrollment page for Regional Debate Meetings:

https://statutulartistului.ro/intalniri-de-lucru-specializate