Life Off-Stage: A Survival Guide for Artists and Cultural Professionals

There is a wealth of resources available, both online and offline, to inform, advise and support artists and cultural professionals on how to pursue their careers without neglecting their role as individuals, parents, partners and citizens, and on how to reflect their (artistic) values. Harder to find, though, is one’s path among all those resources.

For this reason FIA and UNI MEI joined forces in 2017 with IETM (IETM - International network for contemporary performing arts) to enlist questions most frequently asked by professionals in the sector and gathered comprehensive replies in an accessible language, based on sound theoretical knowledge combined with practical experience of the field.

IETM is a network of over 500 performing arts organisations and individual members working in the contemporary performing arts worldwide: theatre, dance, circus, interdisciplinary live art forms, new media. FIA and IETM have had occasion to work together before on issues such as freedom of artistic expression and mobility of artists.

Consultant Matina Magkou (who has worked closely in the past with FIA and UNI MEI and the other European Social Partners in the preparation of our OIRA tools for the Live Performance Sector) was engaged by the three partners to carry out the drafting work. The guide highlights many of the key resources developed by the three networks, as well as a range of other tools and initiatives from around Europe and the world.

It is available to download in English, Polish or in French.