Now available to download in English, French and Spanish!
In recent years, the Media, Arts, and Entertainment sector has seen a significant shift towards digitalisation, with the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerating this trend. As certain parts of the creative sector are working increasingly online, and work migrates more and more to the digital sphere, it has become more challenging to protect the rights, working conditions, and interests of atypical workers involved in this field. Hence new challenges and opportunities are arising for trade unions, particularly in terms of protecting and advocating for the rights of atypical workers. The rise of digital work tools and platforms has also highlighted the need for trade unions to adapt, reassess, and stay ahead of the curve.
To address these changing dynamics, and the challenges and opportunities associated with them, the International Federation of Actors (FIA), along with its project partners FIM, UNI MEI, and EFJ, commissioned a qualitative and explorative study with ‘Digital Working in the Media, Arts & Entertainment Sector: Challenges and Opportunities’. The study was undertaken by Belgian Arts and Culture sector consultancies Twee-eiige Drieling (TWIIID) and Doenker.
This qualitative and exploratory research was conducted over a timeframe of 18 months from January 2022. Starting with a desktop study. This was presented to roundtables consisting of different trade union representatives, with the aim of defining the scope of the research and briefing, within the limited timeframe and budget. Experiences were also collated on advocacy work by different unions and tools developed for streaming and live-streaming during the Covid- 19 pandemic. Since this study also focuses on the challenges and opportunities that artists and cultural workers are faced with, semi-structured and open interviews were conducted from June to August 2022, with a limited number of respondents, to gain insights from creators and artists working in the digital sphere. The study culminated in a one-day event entitled ‘Digital Models and Decent Work for Creators’, which was held on 2 December 2022 during the VR-days Immersive Tech WEEK in Rotterdam. Here, further experiences of artists, intermediaries, and unions were gathered and presented, along with developments at policy level.
This study aims to provide an overview on the rapidly evolving landscape of the sector, to draw out good practices and experiences, and to identify approaches for equipping unions to address the challenges faced by atypical and economically dependent workers in the arts, media and entertainment sector. It is available to download in English, French and Spanish.
