SmartBE

News

16.05.13 The Chair of the EP CULT committee answers to our call in defense of the ‘Creative Europe’ budget Read more...
02.05.13 President of the 'S&D' group in the EP Hannes Swoboda answers to the cultural and creative sectors' concerns about the future budget of Creative Europe Read more...
23.04.13 CAE member VVC celebrates 40 years of cultural centres in Flanders! Read more...
11.04.13 NEMO publishes letter of concern regarding PSI directive on re-use of public sector information Read more...
08.04.13 Letter to President Barroso signed by more than 250 cultural organisations and artists Read more...
05.04.13 URGENT - Funding for Creative Europe needs your action Read more...
25.03.13 Two exciting internship possibilities at Culture Action Europe! Read more...
19.03.13 CAE reacts to the EC communication on Rethinking Education jointly with the Access to Culture Platform and EUCIS-LLL Read more...
12.03.13 Internships at Platform for Intercultural Europe Read more...
08.03.13 we are more campaign newsletter #12 Read more...
01.03.13 COMIX4 Project Read more...
12.02.13 Culture Action Europe reacts to Council agreement on future EU budget Read more...
05.02.13 Second Letter to EU Heads of State or government Read more...
25.01.13 The Creative Clash Final Conference will take place on 19 March 2013 at the Goethe Institut in Brussels Read more...
20.12.12 we are more campaign #11 Read more...
30.11.12 CAE joined forces with the CSCG in a letter to EU leaders Read more...
21.11.12 Letter to EU Heads of State and Governments on the occasion of the extraordinary EU summit 22-23 November 2012 Read more...
08.11.12 Culture Action Europe values Ms Silvia Costa’s report on Creative Europe and calls on the EU institutions to support the proposed budget increase and to reach a first-reading agreement Read more...
12.10.12 we are more campagin newsletter #10 Read more...
10.10.12 Launch of BOZAR and CAE collaboration Read more...
03.10.12 Culture Action Europe’s Conference and General Assembly ‘Act for culture, act for Europe’ – Brussels 9-11 November 2012 Read more...
03.10.12 New EC communication on "Promoting cultural and creative sectors for growth and jobs in the EU" Read more...
04.09.12 CAE is looking for a new intern Read more...
30.07.12 EFA and its partners of the Access to Culture Platform’s Working Group on Audience Participation call for contributions Read more...
24.07.12 Tandem – Moldova-European Union-Ukraine video now available online! Read more...
23.07.12 we are more campaign newsletter #9 Read more...
18.06.12 Sostenuto – Culture as a factor of economic and social innovation: final press conference Read more...
24.05.12 VIVA IL LIVE! 4.0 and 2nd ARCI ReAL meeting Read more...
22.05.12 European Year of Citizens 2013 Alliance - Manifesto published Read more...
22.05.12 Culture Action Europe values the position adopted by the EU Council of Culture Ministers on the Creative Europe programme Read more...
21.05.12 Festival «art links/l’art crée du lien», on thursday 24th and Friday 25 th in Brussels Read more...
10.05.12 Civil society voices reached the EU Council of Culture Ministers Read more...
30.04.12 'we are more' campaign newsletter #8 Read more...
11.04.12 Banlieues d'Europe organizes a debate on the we are more campaign Read more...
03.04.12 Conference on the role of culture in the inclusion of Roma minorities Read more...
22.03.12 Sign petition to save the only public institution for contemporary dance in Slovenia! Read more...
01.03.12 Warm welcome to our new Secretary General Luca Bergamo! Read more...
22.02.12 'we are more' newsletter #7 Read more...
19.12.11 'we are more' newsletter #6 Read more...
03.10.11 'we are more' newsletter #5 Read more...
16.08.11 Job position at EBLIDA Read more...
07.07.11 'we are more' campagin newsletter #4 2011 special edition on budget is now online Read more...
14.06.11 Artists and social inclusion: A Greens/EFA conference Read more...
26.05.11 'we are more' newsletter #3 Read more...
31.03.11 Summary of the position paper on the Culture Programme Read more...
22.03.11 Remix the docks! Read more...
10.02.11 'we are more' newsletter #2 Read more...
16.12.10 Call for organisations to participate in Cultural Cooperation with Moldova and Ukraine Read more...
09.12.10 'we are more' campaign: demands on the Culture Programme Read more...
09.12.10 'we are more' newsletter #1 Read more...
18.10.10 Culture's contribution to social inclusion Read more...
12.10.10 'we are more' campaign launched! Read more...
22.09.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #4 2010 Read more...
22.09.10 Reflections on the challenges facing society today and how culture may offer answers to them Read more...
06.09.10 LabforCulture reports live from the 'Culture and Policies of Change' conference in Brussels Read more...
04.08.10 Members General Assembly and Culture Action Europe Conference 7-9 October 2010 in Brussels Read more...
14.07.10 OMC working group reports have been published Read more...
17.06.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #3 2010 Read more...
06.05.10 The Platform for Intercultural Europe is recruting Read more...
14.04.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #2 2010 Read more...
12.04.10 The EU 2020 strategy: analysis and perspectives Read more...
31.03.10 Culture Action Europe is looking for a translation intern Read more...
29.03.10 Members’ meetings and policy consultation Read more...
17.03.10 Already 6 new members in 2010! Read more...
10.02.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #1 2010 Read more...
10.02.10 Renewed EU commitmment to combating poverty and social exclusion – what perspectives for the Year? Read more...
08.02.10 EP Hearing – Androulla Vassiliou Commisioner-Desginate for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Read more...
14.01.10 Our contribution to the EC consultation on the future EU 2020 strategy Read more...
11.01.10 Our contribution to the EC consultation on financial regulation Read more...
07.12.09 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #8 Read more...
18.08.09 Post elections analysis – to know more about the composition of the new European Parliament and of the new Culture Committee Read more...

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Introduction

For the past 10 years, we have been striving to professionalize all the relations at stake in the artistic and cultural fields. SMartBe, a professional association for the creative professions, emerged as artists expressed their difficulties in managing their status and activities; difficulties often linked to the constraining intermittent nature of artistic activities and to the irregular income that ensues.

Our approach consists in making the entrepreneurial and artistic activities meet, placing the human being at the center of this encounter rather than profit. SMartBe defends social economy values, which are defined as follows: “A final purpose of service to the community or to the members of the organisation rather than one of profit, a vision of self-governance, a democratic decision process, a greater importance given to the people and their work over capital when it comes to sharing out revenues”.

Structure

The Professional Association for the Creative Professions is one of the structures working under the SMartBe Foundation. For legal reasons, each category of service is handled by a separate structure:

- artistic contracts are under the supervision of the Intermittent Workers Office (Secrétariat pour Intermittents) ;
- non-artistic contracts are under the supervision of the temporary work agency Le Palais de l’Intérim ;
- management and production of activities are under the care of Productions Associées
- financial and leasing services are managed by Matlease

Members of the association can access all the different services through a single electronic Web interface and can benefit from individual guidance by counsellors.

The group currently deals with case files from more than 30.000 members and is in contact with over 30.000 ordering parties, from Brussels, Wallonia, Flanders and abroad. These projects workers (artists or intermittent workers) bring in more than 100.000 contracts per year, through their projects and services. Together, the different branches of the group bill more than 80 millions euros yearly.

Objectives

We dedicate ourselves to helping creators of the artistic and cultural sectors, giving their projects ground to emerge and to evolve towards a greater autonomy and a professionnal, structured and secured approach. To attain these objectives, we have created a democratic structure based on the pooling of ressources. We anchor our work in field practice and make sure to create a suitable environment respectful of current rules and regulations. This back-and-forth motion between the two allows us to impact on their evolution in order to ensure that they meet the needs of a cultural and artistic sector in continuous evolution. We offer direct support to the artists and intermittent workers through the availability of a toolbox specifically designed to facilitate the day to day activities of creative professions.

The members, artists and intermittent workers, entrust the Professional Association for the Creative Professions with the defence of their interests, with their legal and political representation, and with the development of research studies aimed at a better understanding of this sector, often ignored, badly regarded or misinterpreted. These studies are crucial in order to propose viable long-term solutions. The above mentionned missions are conducted by our various offices: the legal service office, the research department, the training department and the international development branches of SMartBe (SMartFR and SMartEu).

Daily work, conversations and exchange with members, analyses and research that emerge from these interactions are all elements allowing us to deepen our knowledge of the field thus providing us with the necessary understanding to develop a global approach to the artists and intermittent workers situation. From there, the association puts in place new tools and services and modifies existing ones. Their implementation is under the good care of the sister entities.

The end of illegal work for artists and intermittent workers and their insertion in the employees social security system.
A better communication regarding employment law and sectorial collective agreements in order to ensure a clear understanding from artists and ordering parties.
The definition of a minimum limit under which we will refuse to work.
A guidance offered to artists and intermittent workers in their fee determination.
The defense of artists and intermittent workers’ interests.
A continued dialogue and open debate with all the concerned public and private authorities.
A continued effort to obtain legal and fiscal frameworks answering the specific needs of the artistic and intermittent sector.
The implementation of innovative solutions adopting a non-market approach.

Activities

The availability of concrete tools, the guidance provided by counsellors (at the administrative, legal or production levels) and the handling of files and booking contracts are the core and heart of SMartBe activities. This field experience feeds and legitimates the action undertaken by the Professional Association for the Creative Professions.

Initiatives at the national level:

Contract management.
Production and project management.
Leasing.
Pooled services:
-   Wage reserve fund.
-   Insurance tailored to intermittent work specificity.
-   Legal advice and support.
-   Coaching services / individualized advice.
-   Computer tools.
-   Research department.
-   Lobbying.

Following in the footsteps of SMartBe, other organizations are being created to promote and support European mobility, as is the case of SMartFr in France. The objective is to eventually structure a network of operators all using the same electronic access point with homogenized procedures across Europe.

Contacts