BEHIND THE STAGE (Dec 2017 to Sep 2020)

The Behind The Stage Project was concluded in September 2020. The final report as well as the executive summaries in EN, FR, ES, DE, PL, CZ, BG are now available. See links at the right side of this page.

Read the press release. 

About Behind the Stage

Behind the Stage was a European Project, led by Pearle*, running from December 2017 to September 2020, intended at decisively contributing to the development of the live performance sector through capacity building activities - Academy, Seminars, Workshops and Awards - happening in five cities in Europe: Tallinn, Estonia (May 2018), Antwerp, Belgium (November 2018), Brussels, Belgium (November 2018), Plovdiv, Bulgaria (May 2019) and Porto, Portugal (November 2019). 

These activities, that made up the core of the project, were devised to train representatives of employers and organizations in the live performance sector in order to improve their knowledge and expertise and exchange experiences and best practices. 

Read more about the Behind the Stage Activities here.

Behind the Stage sought to address specifically the challenges expressed in the live performance sector. Many of the challenges arise from external factors such as reduced public support, increase of micro-companies and project-oriented organisations, impact of digital environment on the taste of audiences, greater insecurity for tour planning, increased complexities and administrative burdens for cross-border activities. There is therefore a need to address those challenges in the context of social dialogue, however employers associations often lack the capacity to execute their role to the full extent.

The overall aim of the project was to improve industrial relations in the EU live performance sector by strengthening capacities of national employers organisations in a rapidly changing environment, by improving the functioning of employers associations and encouraging the transnational exchange on thematic issues in the area of EU social policy with a view to better contribute to the European Commission’s commitment on a new start for social dialogue and its objectives for a social Europe.

Behind the Stage was a project by Pearle* – Live Performance Europe, Oko, EETEAL, Les Forces Musicales, Barok, Performart and Deutsches Bühnenverein.

Get to know the Behind the Stage partners here.

Behind the Stage received the support of the European Union through the Sectoral Social Dialogue programme (SSDC).

A little context

At a high level event in 2015 the European Union expressed its commitment to a new start for social dialogue, which was endorsed at the spring tri-partite summit of March 2016. As a result, in 2017 the European Commission proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights, a set of 20 principles aimed at delivering new and more effective rights for its citizens, including the requirement to provide support for increased capacity of social partners to promote social dialogue.

In this context, Pearle* Live Performance Europe, the European employers federation of music and performing arts organisations, launched Behind the Stage, a project that sought to address the specific challenges facing the live performance sector in our rapidly changing environment.

The overall aim of the project was to improve industrial relations and provide a new start for social dialogue in the EU live performance sector by strengthening the capacities of national employers organisations, improving their functioning, and encouraging the transnational exchange on thematic issues in the area of EU social policy.

Read the Behind the Stage objectives here.

What is European Social Dialogue?

European social dialogue refers to discussions, consultations, negotiations and joint actions involving organisations representing the two sides of industry (employers and workers). It takes two main forms: a tripartite dialogue involving the public authorities, a bipartite dialogue between the European employers and trade union organisations. This takes please at cross-industry level and within sectoral social dialogue committees.

What is European Sectoral Social Dialogue?

European sectoral social dialogue committees are fora for consultations on European policies. They are also tools for autonomous social dialogue among the European social partners who may develop joint actions and conduct negotiations on issues of common interest, thereby contributing directly to shaping EU labour legislation and policies.

Project Partners 

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 Associate Partners

Partner on voluntary basis