Independent and self-determined work: what is often described as a vision of the future of working life is already largely a reality in the performing arts. Yet for the majority of people working in the arts and culture sector, the freedom to work independently artistically also means a lack of social security, for example in the case of illness, unemployment or in old age. This affects both self-employed and hybrid workers. The Corona pandemic showed once again that the existing social security systems are not sufficient. They urgently need to be updated so that they are adequate for the future and fair for everyone. The key mission of “Systemcheck” was therefore to improve the social security for self-employed workers in the performing arts.

There have been no concrete, empirical analyses of working conditions in the independent performing arts up till now. Although the lack of social security has been discussed for decades, it has not been systematically researched in either labour sociology or in cultural studies. “Systemcheck” aimed to correct this and carried out studies on the reality of working life in the independent structures of the performing arts. The big research question was: Can existing social security systems also be made effective in the medium- and long-term for self-employed and hybrid workers in the performing arts sector? And if so: how?

To answer this question, “Systemcheck” brought together stakeholders and experts from the arts, politics and trade unions, from the sciences, professional associations and administrations. “Systemcheck” collected and examined statistical data and practical reports, recorded them in scientific dossiers and discussion papers, and elaborated on them. Relevant topics and working areas were examined and discussed in a series of interactive workshops and in larger conferences. In this way, initial conclusions could be drawn about the effectiveness of the social security systems and additional needs identified. At the end, a specialist publication was published: this translates the findings of the scientific analysis and the interdisciplinary dialogue into concrete, actionable recommendations for policymakers.