At the very latest, after #takeheart, #takeaction and #takethat we now that #moneymatters! Together with you, we want to take a close look at an important topic within the independent performing arts: accounting and procurement law. During our digital symposium Money Matters, we will reflect upon this topic from different points of views.

What knowledge is required in order to properly disburse public funds in the independent performing arts community? What reform efforts and what political demands exist to life easier in terms of practice and management? How can additional costs for sustainability, the removal of barriers and organizational development be handled and what was this “reverse charge procedure” again?
 
In Money Matters, we will shed some light on the topic of accounting and procurement law with artists, culture workers, producers and administration enthusiasts and, in doing so, check to see which of the current rules and regulations could be improved in the future. This three-day digital series of events intends to both provide an overview of the foundations of the system as well as to provide space for beginners, longer-term members of the community and experts to discuss open questions.
 
Over the course of presentations, discussions, rounds of questions and workshops, we will come together and combine a variety of points of view: administration, obstacles that are known from practice as well as fair procurement and efforts for reforms. You can look forward to three days full of questions, answers, discussions and exchange!

Below you will find the speakers of the symposium, our program and information about accessibility.

Speakers

Mareike Ligges (Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe, Béla Bisom (Transmissions, cultural producer and founding member of produktionsbande - netzwerk performing arts producer), Klaas Bartsch (Agentur Für Fast Alles), Emma Laule (circus artist), Stefanje Meyer (actor, moderator), Nils Erhard (Theater X), Daniel Schrader (board member of LAFT Berlin, Ballhaus Ost), Janina Benduski (the Berlin Performing Arts Program, ehrliche arbeit – freies Kulturbüro), Sophia Kurmann (the Berlin Performing Arts Program), Ute Classen (cultural manager), Sebastian Hoffmann (Touring Artists), Aminata Oelßner (SheShePop), Urszula Heuwinkel (MIFRUSH Production), Juliane Kühnrich (Competence Center for Fair Procurement Berlin - Kompetenzstelle faire Beschaffung Berlin), Lars Zühlke (HAU Berlin), Elena Polzer (ehrliche Arbeit - freies Kulturbüro), Christin Eckart (Berlin Performing Arts Program) and the Accounting Work Group of LAFT Berlin.
Technical presentation: Victor Treushchenko-Bernhardt

Schedule of Events

Money Matters: Accounting and Procurement Law Explained, Inquired and Discussed
February 15 to February 17, 2023
Location: Digital, the event will take place digitally on Webex and Gather.town - with English translation on Whereby. The formats will primarily take place in German spoken language with interpretation/transcription into English.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

10:00 am: Welcoming Event and Introduction
Daniel Schrader (board member of LAFT Berlin, Ballhaus Ost)
Sophia Kurmann (PerformYourArt)
Belén Marinato (Performing Arts Programm)

10:30 am to 1:00 pm: Who, How and What?
Keynote presentations, followed by discussion, Target group: Everyone
In German spoken language with English translation

With five brief keynote speeches by artists, organizers, producers, representatives of Berlin’s Senate and possibly the auditing service of Berlin’s Senate, we will open up the discussion of the topic of accounting from a variety of points of view. The obstacles and difficulties encountered in practice will be illuminated, the role of the Senate will be presented. After a break, the keynotes will be discussed in an open round: which positions appear to contradict each other and where do the opinions complement each other? What is especially inspiring to us for the coming days and discussions?

Moderation: Béla Bisom (Transmissions, cultural producer and founding member of produktionsbande - netzwerk performing arts producer)
With: Nils Erhard (Theater X), Emma Laule (circus artist), Urszula Heuwinkel (MIFRUSH Production), Rainer Bode (Bundesverband Soziokultur e.V.)


2:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Paths Through the Labyrinth of Accounting
Presentation and Workshop, Target group: Beginners
In German spoken language with optional English subtitles.

Accounting is often an initial topic especially taken into focus by beginners. Together with Transmissions and the Agentur für fast Alles, we have put together a roadmap that can serve as a guide to help you find your way through the labyrinth of accounting. The goal is to provide an overview of the topics and working steps that are important during accounting. At the same time, this orienting step is also intended to help take away the anxiety in accounting. In doing so, individual topics will not be explained in details, but instead presented schematically: at what point can which topic become important and where can I go for advice and help with it? During which step does what topic affect me, does it affect me at all or can I ignore it?

With: Sebastian Hoffmann (Touring Artists), Sophia Kurmann (PAP, PerformYourArt), Christin Eckart (Berlin Performing Arts Program)


3:00 pm to 4:00 pm: Open Space for Exchange -  Gather.town

Thursday, February 16, 2023

10:00 am to 12:00 pm: How Can We Work With Procurement More Fairly in the Future?
Presentation and Workshop, Target group: Everyone
In German spoken language with optional English subtitles

As an introduction the second day, there is the opportunity to further educate yourself about what is “fair”. The competence center Faire Beschaffung, or fair procurement, supports, as the name suggests, employees of the administration to procure more fairly. Many products and materials are manufactured in production locations where human rights and labor rights are frequently violated. We are able to not only serve as a role model, but instead also exercise influence from the offering side and encourage a form of competition that is not conducted at the cost of labor rights and human rights.

With: Juliane Kühnrich (Competence Center for Fair Procurement Berlin - Kompetenzstelle faire Beschaffung Berlin)

 
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Where is the Problem?
Round of Questions, Target group: Longer-termed members of the community
In German and English spoken language

During this question format, personal questions from practice can be asked. To begin with, three or four most frequently asked questions will be answered. Specific incidents can be addressed following this in an open round. This event will not be interpreted, but will instead take place parallel in German and in English spoken language.

German with: Ute Classen (Cultural Manager), Klaas Bartsch (Agentur Für Fast alles)
English with: Fabian Rosonsky (Production manager), Sebastian Hoffmann (Touring Artists)

 
From 7:30 pm: A Round of Experts for Procurement Questions
Live in Berlin (information about the location will follow),Target group: Experts

For our sole live event, we are inviting all interested experts in Berlin to come together in a relaxed atmosphere.This event will not be intepreted. Depending upon the composition of the group, a decision can be made on location as to whether German or English will be used as the working language. The number of participants is limited.


3:00 pm to 4:00 pm: Open Space for Exchange - Gather.town

Friday, February 17, 2023

10:00 am to 11:00 am: What Should Be Improved And By When?
Presentation, Target group: Everyone
In German spoken language with optional English subtitles

What is already being worked on in Berlin, what should be improved? The LAFT Berlin Accounting Work Group will presents its work and its position paper.

With: The Accounting Work Group of LAFT Berlin, Lars Zühlke (HAU Berlin), Elena Polzer (ehrliche Arbeit - freies Kulturbüro)


11:30 pm to 1:00 pm: What We Are Extremely Interested In… – Questions for Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe
Round of Questions, Target group: Everyone
In German spoken language with optional English subtitles

To our delight, Mareike Ligges from Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe has been so kind to agree to enrich our symposium with her knowledge. She will primarily answer tricky as well as frequently asked questions. In doing so, this will deal more with basic questions than with personal questions from practice, for example: “What actually happens with my accounting after I have submitted it?”

Moderation: Inge Zysk (Purple Tanzfestival)
With: Mareike Ligges (Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe), Aminata Oelßner (SheShePop),

Please note: In order to prepare for this format, there will be an online meeting two days in advance, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm, in which the questions for Mareike Ligges will be elaborated in advance. The number of participants for the preparatory meeting is strictly limited and attendance is only possible for those who will be taking part in the symposium from 10:00 am onward.

 
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Request Concert – An Utopian Space
Interactive Round, Target group: Everyone
In German spoken language with optional English subtitles

We are allowed to dream in the final format of this symposium event. How can accounting and procurement law be improved? What do we want?With the help of a WordCloud, ideas and utopias will be collected from the participants and discussed which can serve as a foundation for the coming activities and special events.

Moderation: Béla Bisom (Transmissions, cultural producer and founding member of produktionsbande - netzwerk performing arts producer)

3:00 pm: Closing words
 
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm: Open Space for Exchange - Gather Town

Accessibility

Language

The event will be held mainly in German spoken language. One format is held in English. For some formats there will be translation into English. For the formats that are not translated, it is possible to turn on the subtitling function of Webex.

NOTE: For an unrestricted use of all functions of the video conferencing service, especially the English subtitling, the Webex app is required.
To participate without translation, joining via the browser is sufficient.
Download app: https://www.webex.com/de/downloads.html

Digital platforms

The event will take place in different platforms: Webex, Whereby and Gather.town. Each platform has a technical support in their website. If you still have questions about how to use the platforms, feel free to email support [at] pap-berlin.de.

Privacy and security in the digital platforms

Information about security measures is in the website of each provider.
Webex: https://help.webex.com/de-de/article/nv2hm53/Sicherheit-und-Datenschutz-in-Webex
Whereby: https://whereby.helpscoutdocs.com/article/526-data-storage-and-security
Gather-Town: https://www.gather.town/privacy-policy

Other events of the Berlin Performing Arts Program on related topics:

https://pap-berlin.de/en/event/taxes-germany-1

https://pap-berlin.de/en/production-management-newcomers

https://pap-berlin.de/en/event/international-networking-distribution