The polarisation of society, the rise of populist discourse, and the increasing instrumentalisation of cultural policy for ideological purposes mean that many creative professionals find themselves caught between conflicting interests and confronted with complex challenges in their everyday work. Those who take a stand in their artistic work for an open, diverse, and democratic society or against right-wing extremism are often under pressure. Cultural actors report threats, online hate speech, and public defamation. In public debates, art and culture are simultaneously claimed as a projection screen and a problem solver – for example, when they are expected to address or even pacify social tensions, or take on integration work. On the other hand, artists who take a clear stance are quickly accused of lacking political neutrality. This contradiction is placing an increasing burden on cultural actors, as they are expected to take on social tasks without receiving the necessary resources or sufficient support on a political level. The decline in cultural funding in many countries, especially at the municipal level, not only affects individual projects, but also undermines entire infrastructures for free, critical discourse. Projects in rural areas or outside of large institutions are particularly at risk.

Many cultural actors take on tasks that go far beyond their artistic activities, such as moderation, political education, community work, and crisis communication, often without pay. The boundaries between artistic work and activist engagement are blurring. Precarious working conditions create added value for society; meanwhile, it is hardly structurally secured, especially for freelance artists.

Artists and cultural workers find themselves having to navigate between artistic freedom and self-censorship, social responsibility and limited financial and human resources, artistic expression, and strategic adaptation. This challenges them not only in their professional role, but also in their personal stance, their psychological resilience, and their social self-image.

In light of this complex situation, the Verbund Mitte:Ost developed a toolkit that aims to provide support in the form of concise ideas, reflections, and approaches for action, addressing primarily artists and organisers in the independent performing arts.

The toolkit is intended as a practical resource that can serve as an entry point, a companion, or a reinforcement in navigating one’s own practice. It does not claim to be exhaustive or universally applicable, but is intended as a value-based source of inspiration. It invites users to reflect on their own experiences, further develop their working methods, explore possible courses of action, and seek further information through recommended reading or advisory services.

This collection was created as part of the LAB & KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN project, a two-part qualification programme run by the Verbund Mitte:Ost in 2025. The LAB brought together around 30 artists, venue managers, and festival curators from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia with international partners from Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. The focus was on questions regarding the effectiveness of political art, safe spaces, strategic action in the interplay of stance, publicity and resource scarcity, as well as ways to sustain long-term commitment without becoming exhausted in the process.

The contents of this brochure are based on the results of this dialogue, the subsequent contributions from experts in the fields of law, administration, and civil society during the conference, accompanied by network meetings and further training formats, as well as supplementary research. The selection of topics covered in this toolkit is based on the discussion needs of the participants in the LAB & KONFERENZ VIELFÄLTIGER OSTEN project. Therefore, the topics addressed in this kit are intended as model categories that cannot be separated from one another and are instead interrelated and complementary.

All materials and advisory services mentioned in the toolkit are listed online as direct links.