kunst+care

The kunst+care project deals with the compatibility of care work and art production. The aim is to improve funding structures at state and federal level and ensure unrestricted participation in the art world.

Berlin survey on the granting of scholarships for artists with care-responsibilities

The fair share! kunst+care project launched a survey to identify grant applicants and grantees with caring responsibilities. The aim is to uncover specific obstacles for women artists with care-responsibilities. The data collected will serve as a basis for calling for targeted support measures, such as re-entry grants, childcare subsidies, studio grants or family-friendly residencies. This initiative aims to identify structural obstacles and sustainably improve equal opportunities for women artists with caring responsibilities.

▶ The survey is currently being finalised, more details will follow.

Yes, we care!

Women artists* between care work and creating art production

Parliamentary breakfast, 27.09.2024, Hamburger Bahnhof, Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin

The fair share! kunst+care project has set a milestone with the parliamentary breakfast Yes, we care! women artists between care work and art production at the Hamburger Bahnhof. In statements and personal discussions with politicians at state and federal level and representatives from the various organisations, the activists from fair share! and their network partners spoke out in favour of the re-entry grant, Caring Culture Lab and basic pension entitlements.

Read and listen (currently in German):

Hand Out of the Key Notes ‘Yes, we care!’
Why the planned cultural cuts in 2025 will affect women artists in particular, Tina Hammesfahr, 6 October 2024 DLF Culture
Press release Yes, we care! 27.09.2024

Facts and arguments

Women perform the majority of care work in society (44% more than their male partners). Unpaid and unprotected reproductive work also has an aggravating effect on the careers of female artists.

The aim of the fair share! kunst+care project is the unrestricted, unprejudiced participation of female artists with care responsibilities in the art world and the adaptation of funding structures at state and federal level in accordance with the recommendations of the German Cultural Council (from 2016, 2020 and 2023), among others.

In exchange with representatives of the networks Mehr Mütter für die Kunst, Bündnis Kunst & Kind München, kunst+kind berlin, art + care (Schweiz), intakt (Österreich), Other writers need to concentrate, Caring Culture Lab, Bühnenmütter as well as bbk berlin and BBK demands are being drawn up and solutions proposed.

These were presented to the Bundestag's Culture Committee by fair share! activists Teresa Monfared (March 2023) and Ines Doleschal (March 2024) on the topic of “Reconciling family and career in the cultural and creative sector”.

kunst+care calls for:

Re-entry grants for women working in the arts and culture with care responsibilities after the family or care phase
Residency grants for parents or carers and adaptation of existing residency grants to the needs of carers
Obligation of organizing institutions to offer childcare or financial top-ups and to ensure more flexible scholarship stays in order to enable artists with children to work during their stay
Comprehensive recognition of childcare costs as project and production costs

As a basis for a dignified work and (survival) life in the cultural sector and as a necessary measure to avoid dependency and (old-age) poverty, kunst+care also calls for:

improved maternity protection for solo self-employed workers
the reduction of the average income required to receive a basic pension to 10% of the average income
the recognition of scholarships as relevant income for the collection of pension points and, if necessary, an increase in this income by a potentially taxable portion

contact: care@fairshareforwomenartists.de