Another storm is brewing – or is it a hurricane? – that could hit the cultural sector hard. Politics in this country is making it clearer than ever that culture simply doesn't rank high enough on the policy agenda. We received the press release below from Artists United, which is frankly alarming for the sector. Klassiek Centraal stands firmly behind this urgent call to action.

PRESS RELEASE

Federal negotiations: The professional federations and unions representing workers in the arts sectors are deeply concerned about plans to abolish the so-called artist worker status and fear that access to culture for the public will be restricted.

The professional federations and union organizations have learned from reliable sources that the third version of the "super memo" drafted during coalition government formation contained a paragraph abolishing the status of arts workers, despite the fact that the new version of this artist worker status only came into effect in January 2024…

They thank the political parties involved in the negotiations (including the architects of the reform and other policymakers committed to culture) who are opposing this abolition and call on them to "defend the new status of artist workers and the associated benefit system against all pressure" and stick to these positions.

As a reminder: successive crises have hit the cultural sector hard and underscored the unique way arts work and operate: extremely short-term contracts, invisible labor, low wages, etc.

The previous federal government recognized the need to reform this specific arrangement for artist workers – embedded in the social security and unemployment framework – to ensure the sustainability of a dynamic economic sector (5% of GDP!). And to also guarantee access to culture for everyone thanks to the work of artist workers.

They emphasize that this reform of this status came into effect on January 1, 2024 and that legal certainty must be guaranteed in a constitutional state.

Regarding negotiations on tax reform, the professional federations and unions further urge negotiators to abandon the idea of raising the reduced VAT rate from 6% to 9%, including for cultural products and services, which currently have a 6% VAT rate.

For information: many cultural players, who are not taxpayers and sometimes must provide free services due to mandates entrusted to them by the government, cannot deduct VAT (for example, cultural centers, certain theaters, festivals, etc.). A VAT increase to 9% would effectively raise costs and burdens for many of them, with inevitable consequences for the prices charged and actual access to cultural activities for everyone.

Finally, the French-language book sector is already facing unfavorable competition from France, where a VAT rate of 5.5% applies. Currently, booksellers are absorbing this small difference in their margins, which would no longer be possible if the difference were increased to 3.5%.

Organizations endorsing the urgent call and which Klassiek Centraal joins (status as of August 28, 2024)

ABDIL – Comic and Illustration Artists United, ACTEURSGILDE, AIRES LIBRES – Federation of Street Arts, Circus Arts and Fairground Arts, AMBITUS – Federation of Independent Belgian Classical Music Ensembles, ARTISTS UNITED – Association for the Defense of Cultural Sector Workers' Interests, ARTeM – Art, Research, Technology and Music, Asbl Festival d'Art, ASTRAC – Network of Cultural Center Professionals, ATPS, Association of Professional Performing Arts Technicians, BEMontage, BIMA – Belgian Independent Music Association, CTEJ – Chamber of Children's and Youth Theater, CCTA – Chamber of Adult Theater Companies, CGSLB, COURT-CIRCUIT – Federation of Concert Organizations, CSC Culture, DeAuteurs tekenen, Elles Font des Films, laFAP – Federation of Plastic Arts, FTA – Federation of Theater-Action, FACIR – Federation of Authors, Composers and Performers United, Fazz (Federation of Jazz and Improvised Music – formerly Museact), FCI – Federation of Independent Culture, FEAS – Federation of Employers of Stage Arts, Federation of Storytellers, FeBeME – Belgian Federation of Electroacoustic Music, FLIF – Federation of Francophone Independent Labels, Forum for Musical Creation, Hors-Champ – Federation of Cinema Professions, IRW-CGSP-CULTURE, Jazzstation asbl, La Chapelle de Verre (Fauquez), LES LUNDIS D'HORTENSE – Association of Belgian Jazz Musicians, NICC, PRO SPERE, the federation of audiovisual creators and performers that brings together (ARRF (Association of Francophone Directors), ASA (Association of Audiovisual Screenwriters), ASAR (Association of Radio Authors), SABAM-SACD-SCAM (Authors' Societies), PLAYRIGHT (Society of Performing Artists), UNION DES ARTISTES (Union of Performing Artists), BELGIAN SCREEN COMPOSERS GUILD (Film Music Composers), M-Collectif – Puppetry, Object Theater and Associated Arts in FW-B, La RAC – Network of Choreographic Arts, PLAYRIGHT, SABAM, SACD, SCAM, Scenaristengilde, Professional Association for Flemish Screenwriters, SETCa-FGTB Federal | BBTK Federal, SETCA Culture BHV, State of the Arts, Union of Directors, UAS – Union of Performing Artists