Publications

EAIPA Dossier 2018 – 2023

This dossier provides new insights into the European independent performing arts sector. It is a collection of EAIPA’s research output, policy recommendations and event reports, which spotlights the current working conditions and support structures for independent performing artists in Europe. This includes comparative analyses of different national and regional funding and fair pay structures as well as social insurance and intermittency systems. It also surveys other overlooked areas, such as mental health support, career transition opportunities and the overall role of arts as public health service.

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The independent theatre scene in Poland

The situation of the independent theatre scene in Poland is far more complex than it appears to be. It is therefore worth mentioning specific numbers at the outset. According to statistics from the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute in Warsaw, there are almost 800 independent entities actively operating in Poland. This number includes companies with a legal title (foundations, associations), private theatres (operating as a business), informal collectives and freelance artists.

Author: Katarzyna Knychalska
Picture: © Natalia Kabanow

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DANSPLAN SVERIGE – The story of how the Swedish contemporary dance sector came together to address politics with a common voice

EAIPA project manager Esther Baio interviewed Danscentrum Sverige’s general manager Amy Fee and shares in this article how she learned about the Swedish dance scene, their stake holders and how the Dansplan Sverige came together.

Author: Esther Baio

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Ad posse ad esse: The independent performing arts scene in Kosovo

This article aims to describe the general situation of performing arts in Kosovo: from problems and difficulties to actuality. In conclusion, although small in number, the work of the independent performing arts scene still gives much hope for the future.

Author: Valton Marku
© Qendra Multimedia – Burrnesha – Agon Mehmeti

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The obfuscatory and burgeoning Czech theatre scene

In the recent decade, Czech independent theatre has become an immense and complex organism, conspicuous by its diversity of artistic approaches, organisational systems and multi-generational nature. […] Over the last thirty years, there have been urgent and frequent calls for a more generous cultural budget. Yet, while politicians are not pampering the Czech independent theatre scene, the general impression seems to be one of dizzying abundance.

Author: Barbora Etlíková
Picture: © Vojtěch Brtnický

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The story of the ProEnglish Theatre: How the small Englishspeaking theatre in Kyiv turned into a bomb shelter

The ProEnglish Theatre of Ukraine is a small independent theatre located in Kyiv. You can read here the story told by its artistic director Alex Borovenskiy

Author: Alex Borovenskiy
© Picture: Daniil Prymachov

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WALK THE LINE – FAIRNESS FOR THE INDEPENDENT PERFORMING ARTS IN EUROPE

The event report on the EAIPA conference in March 2022 was published in the magazine gift – zeitschrift für freies theater 02/2022

Author: Christian Keller
© Picture: Winona Bach

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Theatre of Truth

Belarus:
This article wants to shed light on the authoritarian rule of Lukashenko in his own country and the struggle of the defiant independent theatre professionals in Belarus. For this reason, the author also has to remain anonymous for their own safety and that of their family.

Author: anonymous
© Picture: unknown

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Italian IPA

The Italian Independent Scene – A Systematic Chaos

It is necessary to imagine the Italian independent performing arts scene not as an archipelago but as a closely related component that sometimes perfectly matches and sometimes clashes with the whole cultural system. The only way to represent this system is to refer to the concept of modern physics of complexity, that is, a multi-component dynamic structure made up of different subsets that interact with each other, following the rules of chaos and probability.

Author: Davide D’Antonio
© Picture: Simone Cecchetti

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Beitragsbild Romania

The History of Romanian Independent Theatre

[…] before we start describing the Romanian independent theatre movement, how can this simple definition help us understand independent theatre in general: What does a theatre need in order to be called independent? Not be affiliated with a state or an official institution? Is it a matter of financial or ideological independence? Is an independent theatre free of censorship? What is its relationship with politics? So many questions that go far beyond the simple answer the dictionary gives us.

Author: Ovidiu Mihăiţă
© Picture: Andreea Eva Herczegh

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Introduction to the Independent Performing Arts in Europe – 2nd edition published

With this 2nd edition of our broschure, we are adapting the representation of the independent performing arts sector and expanding it to 13 countries in Europe. Our plan is to continue this research and provide updated information every two years.

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Finnish Independent Performing Arts – Funding Reform and COVID-19

There are about 5.5 million people living in Finland, but roughly 4 million tickets to theatre, dance and circus performances are sold in our country every year. We have good reason to describe ourselves as “theatre enthusiasts”.

Author: Kaisa Paavolainen
© Picture: Nils Krogell

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Dance Theatre and Performance in Slovakia

Kristína Zátrochová in conversation with Marta Poláková about the newly established study programme ‚Dance Theatre and Performance‘ at the Academy of the Performing Arts in Bratislava

Author: Kristína Zátrochová
© Picture: Kristína Zátrochová

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A Brief Outline of the Bulgarian Independent Performing Arts Scene

At first, we need to define the term our narrative will employ:
it is one initially used for naming the art forms conceived outside the state structures – „independent“.

Author: Mira Todorova
© Picture: M.Jeanson

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Independent Performing Arts in Slovenia

The independent performing arts sector – comprising a range of non-governmental performing arts organisations, non-formal collectives and individuals, producing primarily visual and physical theatre, experimental drama theatre, street theatre and other interdisciplinary theatre forms – is nowadays considered to be the most vital and progressive part of a vivid general theatre scene in Slovenia.

Author: Tomaž Zaniuk
© Picture: Ivian Kan Mujezinović

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Casual Connection Between Past and Present

Without a doubt, Ukrainian theatre is deeply embedded in the country‘s search for national identity. It has persevered through the prohibition of Ukrainian language, the inferiority complex, the perception of Russian art as the standard that was to be imitated. Everything created outside of such norm, everything that even tried to seek out new forms of expression and to touch on the topic of European experience was revolutionary.

Author: Miroslava Todorova
© Picture: Anastasia Mantach

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Staying afloat, funded and free – Independent performing arts in Iceland

With a population of roughly 360,000, it should come as no surprise that the Icelandic performing arts scene is small. Very small. On the whole, it is a tightly knit group of people passionate about theatre.

Author: Sigridur Jonsdottir
© Picture: Jóhanna Helga Þorkelsdóttir

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We Shall Not Be Moved – An Overview and Conversation about the Situation of Independent Performing Arts in Hungary

„Theaters in Hungary feel the chill of Viktor Orban’s culture war“ — the New York Times reported on 13 December 2019, marking one of the rare instances, when international press attention was directed at cultural policy changes in Hungary.

Author: Katalin Erdődi
© Picture: Katona

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Recommendations regarding the EU Creative Europe successor programme from 2021 on

Considering our extensive experience with EU Culture Programmes for the past 20 years, we hereby want to be of assistance to the ongoing discussion by informing of the established main facts and substaniated comments gathered from the independent performing arts sector.

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Brochure: Independent Performing Arts in Europe 2018

Eight European Performing Art Structures at a Glance.
EAIPA is publishing the first direct overview, comparing eight independent performing arts communities from countries
reaching from Scandinavia to Eastern-, Central- and Southwestern
Europe. Creating a basis for comparison, this brochure serves as a distinct
orientation guide and aims to inspire the individual performing arts communities in their struggle for worthy living and working conditions through political advocacy.

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