The Development Platform for the Performing Arts and Dansk Scenekunst have jointly developed a set of contract tools for co-productions in the performing arts industry.
The tools consist of two contract templates designed to ensure clear and sustainable agreements, as well as a checklist intended to make it easier for theaters and independent performing artists to align expectations regarding their collaboration.
The agreement tools were developed with the aim of accommodating all parties, which is why UP and the employers’ organization Dansk Scenekunst collaborated on their development.
- The checklist helps all parties clarify terms and expectations in advance and ensure that you’ve overlooked as little as possible that could lead to disagreements down the road.
The contract templates are designed to ensure fair agreements. They have been developed in collaboration with lawyers, so they can be used with confidence as contractual documents.
There are two contract templates: one for co-productions where there is shared artistic responsibility, and one for co-productions where the project theatre or company bears sole artistic responsibility.
Contract template for co-productions 1 - Shared Artistic Responsibility (in Danish)
Contract template for co-productions 2 - The Company bears Sole Artistic Responsibility (in Danish
Checklist - for Aligning Expectations in Co-productions (in Danish)
The checklist consists of three discussion sections that cover the vast majority of aspects involved in a co-production. It’s a good idea to set aside plenty of time with the co-producing theater and use the checklist as a tool for fostering productive dialogue.
- DISCUSSION SECTION: The Foundation of the Collaboration.
- DISCUSSION SECTION: The Production and Collaboration Along the Way
- DISCUSSION SECTION: The Performance’s Future
For each discussion block, there are a number of questions you should consider and agree upon with the theatre. These include, for example, which artistic decisions you will make jointly, how you will coordinate grant applications, and who is authorised to sell the production to venues, festivals, or other producers.
Finally, you can fill out the form to document your most important agreements, questions that need to be explored, and points that should be included in the contract.
See also UP's 2024 report, “Effective Co-Production.”