Independent, professional artists who are experienced in actively practicing their art (e.g., as performers), rather than solely teaching, and have been surviving as “solo warriors” in the German art and culture scene for years. They are eager to connect with like-minded individuals because they are aware of the immense potential that a network like this can offer them.

Our network is open to all professional, independent artists who have been working financially independently for several years. We welcome artists who are not only active as teachers but also bring experience as active artists in their respective fields, such as performers. We embrace practioneers of all forms of art, including musicians, painters, sculptors, designers, filmmakers, writers, dancers and performance artists, among many others. 

Self-sufficient artists are not only authentic entrepreneurs and professionals in their field, but they regularly demonstrate a high degree of entrepreneurial initiative through their financial independence. This lifestyle makes them mentally independent individuals with a variety of other emotional and intellectual attributes that make the crucial difference for us: free thinking, authentic creativity, genuine empathy, resilience, and consistency, to name just a few.

The term “self-employed artist” can be confusing. Some may operate formally as self-employed individuals but are constantly reliant on work within (often publicly financed) institutions that provide them with all necessary resources, thus not truly working independently, because it does not give them free choices to create the conditions of their artistic work, resulting in a lack of true autonomy. Some also hold side jobs or receive money from the jobcenter between their institutionally bound commitments. Such artists, who rely on public funding or work for public media companies or institutions, we define as “formally self-employed artists” with external support.

On the other hand, self-reliant artists embody true financial independence and are “authentically self-employed artists” who are financially independent of public funds or institutional jobs.

Being self-sufficient, truly independent, and autonomous as an artist is not ingrained in our culture or mindset. The cultural scene is heavily influenced by public funding due to unfavorable conditions in the economy and politics.

While there’s nothing wrong with receiving state or publicly funded commissions in art, the systematic dependence on them has become problematic. Many producers and artists are dissatisfied with not being able to realize their artistic ideas as they wish. Due to the conditions attached to public funds, they often feel compelled to discard, alter, or limit their ideas. Yet, it seems unimaginable for them to forego this and create alternatives. One main reason for this seems to be the lack of a real reference for an alternative way of life characterized by independence and focus on the private sector.

In an environment that promotes independence and genuine accountability, artists earn their living through their own businesses primarily in the private sector, networking with each other out of their own initiative, and growing together by exchanging experiences, skills, and resources, supporting each other, and collaborating. And so they can – independent of the state – live off this and remain truly free, authentically creative, and above all, true to their conscience and dignity.