produktionsbande on site at the ksk

It is now well known that the issue of obtaining KSK access for producers in the independent performing arts has a long history, and not just within our network. After working on an argumentation paper in favour of such access in several public working meetings, we have reached a new cultural policy milestone with our network: we were invited by the Künstlersozialkasse to its hallowed halls in Wilhelmshaven.

With the support of andri jürgensen, a lawyer with expertise in KSK issues, kaja and martin were able to present an expanded argumentation paper to both the managing director of the KSK and three department heads on 15 July 2025 — including the department responsible for checking insured persons and deciding on new admissions.

Using examples of production processes in the independent performing arts, Kaja and Martin answered questions from the KSK representatives to show that the work of producers can also be artistically characterised and thus qualify for KSK access. Our arguments were met with an open and interested ear by the KSK.

The meeting at the Künstlersozialkasse was a complete success, not only for our network in particular, but for producers as important protagonists in the landscape of the independent performing arts in general. Because even the KSK representatives are of the opinion that if the artistic work in the role of producer is also recorded as such in contracts and invoices, these serve as suitable evidence when examining future KSK applications from producers. We have set out what these services can be in our extended argumentation paper.

This means that the assumption that producers generally have no access to the KSK is finally a thing of the past. Not only the KSK, but also we are looking forward to numerous applications from artistic producers to the künstlersozialkasse.