The current "fairness process" and the IGFM

By Martina Reiter

The fairness process is conducted in two strands. On the one hand, there is the nationwide "Fairness Working Group", consisting of nine representatives from the cultural offices of the individual federal provinces as well as representatives of the Arts and Culture Section in the Federal Ministry (BMKÖS), and on the other hand, the "Fairness Forum", consisting of representatives of the various interest groups, nominated by the Austrian Cultural Council, the supreme umbrella organisation of the interest groups.
After the first meetings in November/December 2020, the next working phase will take place in February 2021, followed by a conference in June 2021.

So much for the facts, what is the role of the IGFM in this process?

The IGFM is working with all due means to be involved in this process. The initial contact and presentation of the IGFM to the supreme coordinator in the BMKÖS made it clear that the Forum Fairness is an already defined group of representatives of the members of the Cultural Council, the supreme authority for artistic communities of interest in this country. We, as well as the entire music world in Austria, will be politically represented by the ÖMR, the Austrian Music Council. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to sit directly at the table, but we are a very young association and it probably just needs the time it takes.

After some discussions with Mr. Harald Huber, the President of the ÖMR, the IGFM was invited to become a member of the ÖMR. Since then we have been in constant contact with the ÖMR. Our Fee recommendations (which were published via mica and can also be found on our homepage) were taken up and we were asked to write a report on the French system "Intermittents du spectacle". All our submissions are presented to the Forum and serve as a basis for work.

At the same time, the working meetings of the Fairness Working Group with the individual federal provinces have begun. Here, too, we were able to organise a meeting in Styria with the provincial representative and present our points of view. Further working meetings of the provincial teams in the respective provinces are in preparation.

In general, we have noticed that cultural policy makers, whether at the federal or state level, are very interested in our views and input. In this sense, we will continue to stay tuned and participate as much as possible in the fairness process and represent the voices of our members.