event series: ksk for producers as well!
a problem way too familiar
The question of the extent to which producers and production managers in the independent performing arts also have access to the Artists' Social Security Fund (in German: Künstlersozialkasse, KSK) has a long history that goes back well before the founding of our produktionsbande network.
When we began receiving support from the unique model project fostering connections, which is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media on the basis of a Bundestag resolution and organized by the Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste (BFDK), the management of the BFDK thankfully referred us very quickly to representatives of the KSK advisory board's access working group, with whom we began productive discussions.
cross reference
Accompanying the systemcheck study, which was compiled and evaluated by Cilgia Gadola (BFDK), several dossiers on topics from the study have also been produced. These include the dossier “Where is the difference?”. It contains contributions from representatives of the six professional groups in the independent performing arts that show the challenges they face in social distancing: scenographers, curators, production managers, technical/sound/lighting designers, musicians and mediators. Kaja Jakstat and Epona Hamdan contributed the article for the profession of production managers.
to the entire system check dossier (in german): “wo ist der unterschied?”
to the article for production managers by kaja jakstat and epona hamdan
discussion at network level
We also discussed this topic digitally with interested colleagues at our first public working meeting in 2022. A short time later, at our second big network meeting in Munich in 2022, it was confirmed that produktionsbande should - amongst other subjects - devote itself to this important topic at network level and set up a separate working group for it.
In a second working meeting, we used the example of the successful argumentation of the stunt people who pleaded for re-admission to the KSK to examine together which of their conclusions and arguments we could draw inspiration from for KSK access for producers.
Equipped with both the information on the difficulties of argumentation for producers that we received from the Access Working Group and the arguments gathered from our public working meetings, we worked on an argumentation paper in the produktionsbande working group ksk access for producers.
argumentation paper
Our argumentation paper attempts to show that the field of services “artistic production” functions as a kind of umbrella under which numerous services that are artistic and journalistic are gathered. With this argumentation paper, we resumed discussions with the working group access in the KSK Advisory Board and with representatives of the BFDK and lawyers. We received very positive feedback on our argumentation and at the same time also indications that a dividing line is emerging in the KSK logic between production workers and producers.
In the logic of the KSK, service profiles that run under the self-designation “production management” are understood as purely organizational or administrative and therefore not artistic. The understanding of the self-designation “producer” is different, as authorship and independent artistic contributions to a work are also assumed here. In the feedback discussions with the supporters of our project, we were initially bitterly disappointed by this division within our professional field because we never wanted to reinforce it. However, it was only in further intensive discussions within our working group that this separation became apparent as an option for action for our professional field and the question of KSK access: My own questioning of whether I see my work as a production manager or as a producer is an important one; everyone should and must answer this question for themselves, individually. After all, it would not help anyone if our plan for KSK access were to result in an obligation to become a KSK member.
event series
With the shared knowledge from the three public working meetings and the arguments from the developed paper, we have developed a three-part event series ksk for producers as well!
We see the series of events as an orientation and support offer for freelance producers in the performing arts who are personally concerned with the question of whether an application for membership with the KSK is an option for them.
We would therefore like to happily invite all interested parties to the three events in this series. With this series of events, we will accompany the KSK application process of the participants at selected milestones:
(1) orientation
wed, 13.11.2024
11:30 — 13:30
In this first orientation session, we will share our work and experiences with you on the question of how the KSK can become more accessible for producers/production managers. Together we will clarify what the advantages and disadvantages of membership can be and where caution might be required. We will also present our developed argumentation paper.
(2) action
wed, 27.11.2024
19:30 — 21:00
After a joint look at the application process, you will work on your applications in small groups and discuss the completion process together. If you already have all the necessary documents together, the application can be sent off at the end of the evening right away! If the application is not yet complete, we will help each other to find out which documents are still missing.
(3) exchange
wed, 29.01.2025
10:00 — 11:15
With this exchange space, we provide you with time together with us and all participants with whom you can discuss and work on your concerns for the further processing and finalization of your KSK application or your proofs to be submitted.