Working groups of the bbk berlin
Currently, there are three working groups active at bbk berlin. Anyone interested in getting involved in one of these groups should contact the office at info@bbk-berlin.de. We welcome new ideas and perspectives.
Working Group Old Age Poverty / Basic Pension (Grundrente):
We are convinced that existing poverty among the elderly and degrading dependence on welfare benefits, regardless of who is affected by it, is unworthy of a "democratic and social federal state" (Article 20 of the Basic Law), and it should be the goal of every policy to overcome it.
The working group was founded in 2016 out of the necessity that increasing numbers of bbk berlin members were falling into old-age poverty. This means not only precarious living conditions, but also the loss of workspace, storage space for their own works, and thus the inability to continue artistic work in old age. This is an unbearable situation for every artist, resulting in psychological and emotional distress. The working group therefore calls for the integration of artists into the federal statutory basic pension scheme (Grundrentenreglung).
Antifascism Working Group:
Driven by social inequality and racist agitation, driven by politicians and media that pander to right-wing currents, fascist and anti-democratic forces are gaining further importance in society.
Since March 2024, the Antifascism Working Group has been working on various forms of artistic engagement and activism against the far-right. The central component is the exchange of one's own experiences as well as the collective learning from each other and the networking of the members.
A series of events is planned, initiated by the working group, which will focus on the practice of resistance in digital and public spaces against right-wing ideologies.
Working Group CSA – Counter Sexism & Abuse:
The CSA working group has been active since 2022. It critically examines power structures and social mechanisms that enable and perpetuate sexual violence and exclusion. Together, we aim to develop tools that empower us to break the silence, show solidarity, and strengthen our resilience against patriarchal structures and abuse of power. Through collective learning, exchange, and support, we aim to create safe spaces for visual artists and their working environments.
The aim is to establish a confidential office for visual artists in Berlin against sexual harassment and discrimination in the bbk berlin from 2025, modeled on the nationwide organization Themis. Since Themis can only represent artists with an employed status,
Berlin Cultural Conference (BKK) / Alliance of the Independent Scene:
The bbk berlin is
- a member of the Berlin Cultural Conference (https://www.kulturkonferenz.berlin/) and
- part of the Alliance Free Scene Berlin (https://buendnis-freie-szene-berlin.org/) and
- represented in the spokespersons’ circle of the Coalition of the Free Scene Berlin (https://freieszene.berlin/).