[vc_row type=”vc_default” css=”.vc_custom_1586699086649{padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][dt_fancy_title title=”A CODEX OF FAIR PRACTICES IN ARTS” title_align=”left” title_size=”h3″ title_color=”accent” separator_style=”disabled”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Performing artistic activity in the existing socio-economic model is proving to be extremely unsustainable. The current conditions of artistic work and activity have been brought to the lowest rung of the ladder in the cultural production and financing chain. By reducing artistic production to project financing conditions in competition with state institutions, private and non-governmental sector in public competitions with competent republic, city or provincial institutions, artists are denied fair conditions for reaching budgetary funds, since the state allocates only 0.6% annually from its funds for culture.
According to this funding model the programs of public cultural institutions and the salaries of public sector employees favors them in the first place. It happens that those artists, which are primarily independent cultural workers and independent artists, on whose work and cultural production cultural institutions depend on, are completely neglected.
Since art is a form of cultural and social activity directly conditioning social development, it is necessary for the state to regulate relations in the cultural field and to enable the artistic production of independent cultural workers and independent artists to be supported systematically and structurally by public funds.
According to the existing Law on Culture, artists are treated as social cases where the local government pays minimal taxes and contributions and treats them as entrepreneurs in the culture, who need to fight for themselves in the market. In a society that does not have an artistic system, it has neither an audience nor an adequate platform for the development of cultural activity, an environment is created in which the participation of artists in dealing with problems of public interest is prevented and produces pressure that directs artistic production to act in the interest of capital.
At the beginning of 2020 a working group for FAIR ART PRACTICE was formed at ULUS. The focus of its work is on conceptualizing models for the systematic regulation of economic relations in the arts, according to fair exchange standards. The Codex of fair artistic practice, still under development, proposes equal project and structural funding by the state. By advocating recognition and valorization of artistic work, artists are encouraged to request a fair payment for their services in the art/creative sector as well as other facilities, necessary for the professional performance of their activities. The conception of this model draws on examples of fair practices in the arts that have been standardized in various countries in the region and in the rest of Europe.
The Codex of Fair Art Practice also relies on one of the basic goals of the Association, described in Article 6, Item 4 of the Statute, namely: affirmation of artistic activity, professional reputation of members and realization of economic valuation of their work. Developing the Association’s Codex of Professional Ethics, the Codex of Fair Art Practice advocates five core values that propose regulatory mechanisms for implementing legal acts and goals: solidarity, diversity, trust, sustainability and transparency. The Codex encourages the development of an ethically based and institutionally founded art labor market for all participants in cultural and artistic production.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”19947″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”DRAFT MODEL OF CODEX OF FAIR ARTS PRACTICE ” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1587076545792{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”HONORS AND FEES” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]The Fair Art Practice working group calls for equality in cultural field for all actors in the art production chain, in order to build a system of sustainable cultural production and professional art scene. The principles underlying the Codex of Fair Art Practice are ethics within the profession, solidarity, shared responsibility of participants in artistic production, fair distribution of funds and rewards according to the personal engagement of the artist.
The Fair Art Practice working group is committed to introducing standardized contractual procedures that would enable the professional engagement of artists and cultural actors institutionalized and recognized as an activity of public interest. The conditions and norms, under which professional artistic work will operate, will be more specified by the Codex of Fair Art Practice.
The Codex of Fair Art Practice proposes measures for the valorization of artistic work, which will be adequately rewarded from public funding, according to artistic engagement. This Codex prescribes a price list for the activities of the artists in the cultural field, and treats cultural producers as professionals in the cultural sector. This Codex proposes criteria for the financial compensation of cultural professionals, according to standardized copyright contracts for professional engagement.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”The activities of cultural workers to be covered by this Codex are” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][info_list icon_bg_color=”#f7f7f8″ font_size_icon=”13″ eg_br_style=”solid” eg_br_width=”1″ connector_color=”rgba(142,142,142,0.7)” connector_animation=”fadeInUp”][info_list_item list_icon=”icomoon-the7-font-the7-arrow-13″ desc_font_size=”desktop:17px;” desc_font_line_height=”desktop:20px;”]Exhibition activity (participation in solo or group exhibitions, festivals)[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_icon=”icomoon-the7-font-the7-arrow-13″ desc_font_size=”desktop:17px;” desc_font_line_height=”desktop:20px;”]Public presentations (art talks, discussions, debate panels, interviews, public promotions, public speaking)[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_icon=”icomoon-the7-font-the7-arrow-13″ desc_font_size=”desktop:17px;” desc_font_line_height=”desktop:20px;”]Acting in public space (performance, artistic action, happenings, intervention in public space)[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_icon=”icomoon-the7-font-the7-arrow-13″ desc_font_size=”desktop:17px;” desc_font_line_height=”desktop:20px;”]Participation in the cultural production of other organizers (one-time event, projection, installation in space)[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_icon=”icomoon-the7-font-the7-arrow-13″ desc_font_size=”desktop:17px;” desc_font_line_height=”desktop:20px;”]Educational activities (seminars, courses, workshops, mentoring)[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_icon=”icomoon-the7-font-the7-arrow-13″ desc_font_size=”desktop:17px;” desc_font_line_height=”desktop:20px;”]Other cultural production (participation in selection processes, organization of artistic events, planning and programming of cultural activities, production of critical or promotional text, production of promotional content, popularization of art through social networks, publication of media content on the Internet, photo documentaries, video archives, digitization… )[/info_list_item][/info_list][vc_custom_heading text=”TAX BASIS” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1587076708321{padding-top: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]The Fair Art Practice working group proposes adequate compensation for artistic engagement. This proposal includes an increase in the tax base for retirement, health and social security, in line with the internship, qualifications and individual results achieved.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”VAT & TAXES” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1587076733637{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”][dt_vc_list style=”2″ bullet_position=”middle”]The Fair Art Practice working group is in favor of the following changes within the legal framework regarding the activities of artists:
- Abolition of value added tax on fixed assets and artistic accessories for creation;
- Abolition of fees for the use and maintenance of workplaces;
- Tax benefits and financial compensation for services rendered by artists (copyrights contracts, royalties);
- Systematic development of artistic audience (introduction of educational program from culture to public service from the elementary school age)
- Strategic development of culture through formal education (introduction of art as a tool in education; involvement of artists in the formation of educational policies; involvement of artists in the artistic education of children and youth, instead of formal educators, teachers and other non-artistic educated staff)
- Stimulation of the art market (reduction of tax levies for the purchase of works of art for individuals)
- Stimulation of investment in culture by taxpayers (business entities, foundations)
- Development of categories covered by the tax incentive policy for cultural investment (expand the list of legal entities that may be beneficiaries of taxpayer income from the economy, including representative cultural associations in that list).
[/dt_vc_list][vc_custom_heading text=”WORKING SPACES” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1587076785555{padding-top: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Artistic creativity implies the existence of adequate working space (studio, studio, workshop).
The Fair Art Practice working group is committed to legally regulating material conditions for artistic creation, which would allow artists to use the workspace at affordable, off-market prices. The proposal of this group is to legally regulate the conditions in order to provide artists with adequate workplaces from the business premises fund or from the public sector of those institutions which have lost their primary purpose (military facilities, factories, office buildings) and which would be renovated and brought to the purpose by the artists with their own funds or with the assistance of donation.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”AWARDS” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1587076813807{padding-top: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Article 13 of the Law on Culture provides the annual Award for stimulation of creativity in culture.
“In order to encourage cultural creativity and cultural activity, the Government is establishing national awards for special contribution to the development of culture and the criteria for their award.”
We demand the introduction of adequate financial compensation in the form of an award for outstanding contribution to culture in the field of contemporary fine arts at the national level.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]