What is touring artists?

About

touring artists, an information portal for artists and creatives working internationally, provides comprehensive information on visas/residence, artist status and contracts, transport/customs, taxes, social security, other insurances, and copyright. Through a joint project of the German Center of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) and the Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste (IGBK; English: International Association of Art (IAA) in Germany), these topics have initially been examined for both the performing arts and the visual arts. Since most questions and answers are relevant regardless of any discipline and the portal is used by different actors of the arts and cultural industries, the information service is being expanded continuously. In 2018/2019, in cooperation with the European Music Council, it was possible to include first specific information on the music sector.

touring artists primarily maps the circumstances, legal regulations, and administrative procedures in Germany – for foreign artists and creatives who work here temporarily and for German artists/creatives or artists/creatives who live in Germany and who work abroad for a limited time. It also considers the perspective of Germany-based organizers. The website is available in English and German.

What can I find here?

The portal offers a sound introduction to the topics mentioned above, provides easily accessible and comprehensible information concerning legal and administrative issues, and presents checklists, references to further reading, contacts, and relevant departments in their respective administrations. Experts in each area were involved in providing this information; the contents have been checked at the ministerial level.

A comprehensive glossary, a mobility library, information concerning the German cultural landscape, a collection of country-specific, European and global information portals, an overview of artists’ residencies as well as a database of more than 300 programs in Germany supporting artist mobility complement the portal. 

Starting from 2018, the project International Artists Info Berlin (IAIB) aims at supporting artists, creatives and culture professionals who were forced to leave their home countries due to the political situation and are now residing in Germany. Orientation about the German cultural landscape and the Berlin culture scene in particular is provided and the legal framework for artistic practice in Germany as well as the necessary prerequisites to work here as an artist or creative are explained - all of that to facilitate the continuation of the artistic or creative work in Germany. The online information is available in three languages (English, Arabic, German).

Via the link Hoşgeldiniz: Türkiye // Willkommen Türkei // Welcome: Turkey, artists and culture professionals from Turkey will find answers to many questions which may arise when coming to work in Germany - in Turkish, German, and English.

                                                              
What touring artists is not

touring artists is not a platform that helps artists, creatives or organizers to get involved in co-productions, performances, exhibitions etc. nor does it mediate projects or stays abroad or provide funding. It also does not contain information about working conditions in other countries – except for the links in the ‘info portals’ section.  

Our focus is on the legal circumstances and conditions in Germany. It is not possible to account for all particularities and special cases in this context. The complexity of some issues makes it necessary to consult with information providing authorities and (legal) advisors in complicated individual cases.
You may also contact the touring artists helpdesk service free of charge for individual questions. Please note that touring artists is unable to provide legally binding Information.

Further development

The ITI and the IGBK have been updating and developing the portal regularly since its launch in 2013. It is a central concern of the stakeholders in the European cultural sector to systematize, extend, and share the existing information. touring artists starts from this point and addresses the need for information in and regarding Germany to provide artists, creatives and cultural professionals with the tools they need to bring their work to a wider audience.

In this connection, touring artists is an active member within On the Move - Cultural mobility information network and in the network of the so-called Mobility Information Points (MIP).

If you have questions or suggestions, please email the touring artists editorial team at info@touring-artists.info