Introduction

This chapter draws on the example of the German theatrical employment system to analyse the tensions between national institutions and current external market and internationalisation forces. From an economic perspective, creative industries share certain features – such as the uncertainty of demand, the intrinsic motivation of workers/artists, the infinite variety of products, time pressures in project-based production and the omni-presence of ranking processes (Caves, 2000). Employment arrangements and work organisation in industries producing, for example, films, radio or television programmes, theatre and music are sometimes seen as a model for flexible work in a global and competitive economy. Comparing nations, however, reveals development paths that have led to different institutional environments for creative production such as theatre. Professional theatrical production is marked by project-based teams that bring together craft-oriented talents and professions (including actors, directors, costume designers, lighting designers and stage designers) to produce an output defined as a play or a performance. Despite the common characteristics of theatrical production, language boundaries and varying national roots and traditions have resulted in specific ways of organising theatrical work in different countries. These differences comprise, for example, ways of financing or funding theatrical work, ways in which actors and other theatre workers are educated and trained, and the terms and conditions of employment or work contracts.

The chapter concentrates on the German theatrical employment system. German theatre is characterised by (i) a large number of public repertoire theatres, (ii) a combination of stability and flexibility within the workforce, resulting from relatively stable teams working under temporary contracts, and (iii) collective bargaining, which sets some restrictions on employers' strategies.