14.04.2016 – 19:00

Round table discussion: “Artist as individual entrepreneur? Collisions of “creative economy” in local coordinates”

The notion of “creative worker” in Belarus, as well as his rights and status, is defined and regulated by the Law from December 16, 1999 № 342-З “About artistic unions and creative workers”. According to it, a creative worker is “an individual, who is engaged in artistic activity in the field of culture, art and other cultural creative activity”. This law also prescribes basic rights and responsibilities of creative workers, their right to work (both with a contract, and without it), and also points that cultural activity is not entrepreneur, “except for the cases, when it is aimed at systematic profit from its results” (see Art. 17)

That means, that on the one hand, in Belarus there is a legislative framework for legalizing creative labour of (cultural) worker. Even after the adoption of the Decree “On social dependency”, they adopted the regulation, according to which creative workers do not fall under the category of "dependent" if they are members of creative unions or have the certificate of the Artist, issued by a special commission of the Ministry of Culture of Belarus.

On the other hand, aside from a minimal demand from artist’s activity in Belarus (only a small percent has a possibility to do art for the living), their social status and rights remain questionable. Despite a written state about the fact, that artistic activity is not commercial, to register as an individual entrepreneur (craftsman) or a commercial enterprise is the simplest and safest way for legal realisation of the activity (it is necessary to understand, that the tax has to be paid in the same amount and way, as by other individual entrepreneurs, conducting commercial activity).

During the round table, dedicated to the rights and status of artists and cultural workers in Belarus, the following questions will be addressed: the working conditions for artists and cultural workers in Belarus and abroad; social security and future guaranties; the necessity of professional union: for and against; etc.