Illness as Practice

Illness as Practice

2021

about the piece

Project aim:

For this project, in cooperation with those affected and the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion as well as the Fonds Darstellende Künste, some information has been compiled for artists that can be helpful in the event of an unexpected, serious illness.

This mainly concerns questions of funding law, but also questions of the organisation of artistic work during a long period of illness.
We are aware that this information is not legally binding. Each case must be considered on its own merits.

We see this project as part of a process of increasing differentiation of the age pyramid in the independent scene.
The number of artists at the top of the pyramid (over 50) has risen sharply and will continue to do so. Statistically, this also increases the likelihood of serious illness. We therefore believe it is important to proactively support this process.

Company Christoph Winkler

Questions to be asked in the event of serious illness in the funding system of the independent scene:

– Should the grant recipient be ill, may funds for infrastructure (e.g. rehearsal room rent) continue to be spent? if so, for how long?
– If the grant recipient is ill for a longer period (6 months or more), can “permanent” employees continue to be paid if they are self-employed? If so, for how long?
– Should the grantee not be able to make decisions, who can make the decisions? In which areas? For how long?
– Can the spouse or other trustees be authorised to make decisions?
– Can default fees be paid to artists in such a case?
– If the grantee is seriously ill, can someone temporarily replace him/her without having to reallocate the grant? If so, who can appoint that person?  For example, could a colleague finish the work or other forms of creative collaboration be chosen?
– Can reserves be built up over the funding period?
– Can the funding period be extended (conceptual funding, etc.)?
– Can the project be postponed (single project), if so for how long?
– Can the format of a production be changed, for example to reduce the workload during recovery phases? During immunosuppressive therapies, can the format be changed to minimise or eliminate contact with performers?
– Does your organisation already have experience with such cases? Is there a guideline or something similar?
– What would you as a funding body expect from the artists in such a case? More precisely, what information would you like to receive? Also against the background that artists may be afraid of losing funding.

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credits

"Funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media within the framework of the initiative NEUSTART KULTUR, aid programm DIS-TANZEN/ tanz:digital/ DIS-TANZEN by the Dachverband Tanz Deutschland"