What does touring artists - the information portal for artists working internationally - do when international mobility in the usual form is cancelled or severely restricted?
Due to Corona, the range of topics in 2020 has expanded, for example, with regard to the question of how artists from abroad can extend their residence permit in a certain country if the authorities do not work. Risk areas or rights and obligations when canceling planned trips have become important.
touring artists help desk service
Of course, getting free advice from the touring artists helpdesk service is still possible, despite the Corona pandemic. Not in person, but via e-mail, telephone or skype. For appointments via e-mail, please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The touring artists helpdesk service is currently specifically concerned with, among other things, the aid programs of the German federal and state governments, and offers information in English for artists and creative professionals from abroad who live in Germany.
Events at the end of the year 2020
To this end, the Kulturförderpunkt Berlin/ Kreativwirtschaftsberatung Berlin is also currently offering the online Q&A session "Corona crisis: emergency aid and support programs for arts, culture, creative industries" on Tuesday, 15 December 2020 (10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.) via Zoom. Sebastian Hoffmann will be there for touring artists. The current status around applications for Corona aid will be explained and further support measures will be presented. The session is free of charge and will be offered in English.
But there are also very general questions on mobility being discussed: How does cross-border work take shape, now and in the future, why is mobility important, and in what form does it make sense? In November, touring artists and Motovila (Ljubljana) organized the online event #Mobility4Creativity: Working across borders - how and why? (video of the talk at the link), as part of the work in the Mobility Info Points network in On the Move.
News on the information portal and video tutorials
Despite all this, touring artists of course continues to deal with administrative issues around taxes, customs, social security, artist status and contracts etc. in an international context. Extensions in the informatin blocks on copyright and income tax will go online soon. And we have started to implement a series of video tutorials, which can be found here (You Tube).
Outlook 2021
The effects of the Corona pandemic will continue to occupy touring artists in 2021. At the same time, the approaching Brexit and the resulting changes in the framework conditions for collaborations between Germany and Great Britain, projects, guest residencies, etc. will require a lot of attention.
A relaunch of the information portal www.touring-artists.info is also planned - also in order to create even more user-friendly access.
And sustainable, resource-conserving work will be on the minds of touring artists - our own as well as that of all the artists and creatives who are close to our hearts.
touring artists has compiled a list of sources that provide information on the current situation - in particular on the effects on the cultural sector, on planned and required (help) measures and possible contacts in legal questions.
The information portal www.touring-artists.info provides artists for both the performing and the visual arts comprehensive information on visas and residence, transport and customs, taxes, social and other insurances, and copyright related to cross-border mobility.
Furthermore, artists and cultural professionals can make use of the touring artists helpdesk service for individual consultations on international projects and working stays abroad. Please make an appointment by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The service is free of charge.
The website and service is addressed to artists living in Germany and working abroad for a limited time, as well as to foreign artists who come to work in Germany temporarily.
touring artists is a joint project of IGBK, the International Theatre Institute (ITI) Germany and Dachverband Tanz Deutschland (DTD). The touring artists helpdesk is a cooperation of IGBK, ITI and DTD together with SMartDe - Netzwerk für Kreative e.V.. The project is supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
The enhanced service for artists and culture professionals from countries affected by crisis is part of the project "International Artists Info Berlin" – a cooperation of IGBK, ITI and DTD with SMartDe – Netzwerk für Kreative e.V., supported by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe Berlin, programme ‘Weltoffenes Berlin‘.
