Focal point: The Power of the Collective

Focal point: The Power of the Collective is an international conference focused on the current challenges regarding working conditions in the cultural sector, as well as on the tools available today to help cultural professionals negotiate more dignified and fair working conditions. The topic has a strong European dimension: The Cultural Compass for Europe, adopted by the European Commission at the end of 2025, lists support for artists and cultural workers as one of its four key strategic priorities, emphasising that precarious working conditions are one of the sector’s main challenges today. In a situation where the cultural sector is dominated by freelance work in a fragmented professional landscape, the questions of how to approach collective representation, professional solidarity, and the nature of social dialogue become more significant.  

The conference will offer inspiration from abroad as well as insights into the Czech context: from collective bargaining, the role of professional associations and modern labour unions, to fair practices and transparent compensation. What conditions are needed to ensure that people in the cultural sector are not left to negotiate alone? How can grassroots initiatives, sectoral networks, and public institutions across different ministries collaborate? And what needs to be done to ensure that the debate on working conditions in the cultural sector translates into concrete and effective measures? The program will also include a presentation of the results of collaborative work on the Fair Practice Code - one of the practical tools currently helping to establish more dignified working conditions in the Czech cultural sector.  

Focal Point: The Power of the Collective opens a space for professional associations, cultural professionals, freelancers, institutions, and public policymakers - in short, everyone interested in genuinely improving working conditions in the cultural sector - to discuss how to achieve this. It seeks to answer the question of how to strengthen the bargaining power of individuals in the cultural sector today through collective forms of cooperation, and how to use this power to bring about systemic change. 

The conference is organised by the Creative Europe Desk CZ, the Czech Cultural Institute, and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, in cooperation with ARCHA+.