work it out #1 | employed - freelance: either/or/and

This first part of the series is dedicated to a juxtaposition or comparison of forms of employment in order to gain an overview of the spectrum of employment models. Sepide Freitag and Béla Bisom will combine their respective expertise and experience for this purpose. Together with the participants, they will work out the differences between various models, from employment to self-employment, and focus on some aspects that producers often encounter in the field of performing arts. In doing so, they always change perspectives and look at both ‘sides’, that of the employer/client and that of the employee/contractor. We explore various questions together: How do I figure out whether employment, hybrid employment or self-employment is the right model for me right now? When does it make sense to hire employees or when is a permanent position mandatory? Which ‘hard facts’ and which aspects of individual (and private) life situations are decisive? What should I bear in mind when transitioning between different models? What are the criteria, advantages and disadvantages for the contractor/employee and the client/employer? How can these be dealt with in each case?

Some of the topics and questions will be explored in greater depth in the following parts of the series work it out #2 | focus permanent employment and work it out #3 | focus self-employment.

The workshop series work it out is dedicated to topics relating to working constellations (freelance, permanent, hybrid) and aims to structure the complex issues in our cultural sector and answer them from a practical perspective.

• part #1: fixed - freelance: either/or/and | 18.06.2025, 10 - 14

• part #2: focus: permanent employment | 11.09.2025, 10 - 14

• part #3: focus: self-employment | 02.10.2025, 10 - 14

more info on the contextual framework of the series: here

There will be breaks.
There will be breakout sessions.
More details to follow, contact for enquiries: formate@produktionsbande.org

Sepide Freitag is a lawyer, mediator, and producer based in Cologne, Berlin, and Brussels. She studied law in Cologne and Beijing, as well as art history for several semesters in Bonn. She has worked in law firms, legal departments, and political organizations, specializing in labor, media, copyright, and human rights law, including as a legal and political advisor for NGOs and associations in Brussels and Berlin.
Until 2023, she co-managed the Berlin-based agency Danila-Freitag, which she co-founded, as a producer specializing in dance and performing arts.
Today, as an independent lawyer, she advises artists, producers, cultural institutions, and associations e.g. on AGG law, copyright and media law, and administrative law. She also regularly conducts workshops on these topics for the independent cultural sector.

Béla Bisom has been working independently in dance and theater management in Germany for more than 20 years. He is the founder and managing director of the production office transmissions GmbH in Cologne with 6 employees, which specializes in the field of finance for culture. transmissions advises and supports artists, ensembles and institutions of the independent performing arts in the implementation of their projects and the administration of public funding. Béla is committed to fair working conditions and the structural and professional strengthening of independent cultural workers, for example through workshops on topics such as fee calculation, accounting and funding administration.

The series is aimed in particular at producers and interested cultural workers with a focus on the performing arts. The series assumes a certain amount of work experience, as we do not start from the basics, but want to share the many existing basic resources and try to respond to gaps in this series, sharpen generally available information for the cultural sector, educate ourselves further together and deepen focus topics.