Mobilive Final Report
Cross-border employment in the live performance sector: Exploring the social security and employment status of highly mobile workers

A study conducted in the framework of the European funded project MOBILIVE by the academic researchers Frederic De Wispelaere & Wouter Schepers (HIVA - KU Leuven), Prof. Yves Jorens & Evert Nerinckx (Ghent University) and Marco Rocca & Leila Duchateau (CNRS - University of Strasbourg).

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In order to support the work of social partners in general, and more particularly in sectors characterised by a high degree of cross-border mobility, this report explores the often neglected issue of the social security and employment status of ‘highly mobile workers’.

 

The report draws the attention to a specific group of (highly) mobile workers in the EU, notably those active in the ‘live performance sector’. This category is broad and multifaceted, including, for example, the dancer on tour for several weeks in different Member States, the actor engaged by a theatre company in one Member State and invited as a guest dramaturg in another Member State, the musician playing in several orchestras and music ensembles in different Member States, rehearsing in yet another Member State.

 

Thus, identifying the social security and labour legislation which should be applied to this group of (highly) mobile workers can be very challenging. What these challenges exactly are in the field of labour and social security law and what answers are conceivable, is a main subject of the report. In that respect, the following research objectives were put forward:

  • map the live performance sector;
  • define the concept of a ‘highly mobile worker’ and map the transnational dimension of the live performance sector;
  • describe the legal framework in the field of (European) labour and social security law applicable to (highly) mobile workers and companies, with a focus on the live performance sector;
  • define the challenges and obstacles encountered in the live performance sector when providing cross-border services;
  • define possible solutions for the challenges and obstacles encountered by (highly) mobile workers and companies, with a focus on the live performance sector.

About MOBILIVE

Labour mobility is one of the fundamental freedoms of the EU. Despite the fact that the term ‘highly mobile worker’ is increasingly used in debates, very little research is available on their socio-economic and legal status. The group of highly mobile persons that MOBILIVE wants to focus on are artists, musicians and where relevant also technicians and touring staff. read more about the project in our activities section on this website https://www.pearle.eu/activity/mobilive 

MOBILIVE aims to explore the social security and employment status of hyper-mobile workers in the live performance sector. The research explored the definition of the concept ‘highly mobile worker’ (in the live performance sector) and makes a detailed analysis of the challenges and solutions with regard the social security and employment status of hyper-mobile workers employed in the live performance sector.

The project consortium is composed of:

KUL-HIVA (project leader), CNRS - University of Strasbourg and University of Ghent (co-researchers), Pearle* (co-partner)

Associate partners: 5 partner countries OKO (BE), APD CR (CZ), FEPS (FR), Performart (PT), Svensk Scenkonst (SW), and also FIM, FIA, UNI-MEI

This research project received funding from the European Commission, DG Employment, under the budget heading 'Improving expertise in the field of industrial relations' - Grand Agreement Number VS/2020/0116. The opinions expressed in this study reflect only the authors' view. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that can be made of the information contained therein.

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