From the Stage to the Streets

– The field of acting is a very unstable terrain, confesses Konstantina Katsiari, a third-year student at the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece.

She is also secretary of the Union for Students of Dance, Theatre and Film Schools. Her involvement in unionising came after experiencing first-hand the problems plaguing educational art institutions in Greece.

– The academies have terrible shortcomings. Classrooms cannot accommodate the number of students, lessons are not covered by professors, sanitation is non-existent and it falls to the students to clean. Most also need to work, which is a big issue in scheduling. I decided that I cannot tackle these alone, and that the approach must be collective.

A Never-Ending Front

Katsiari emphasizes the historical roots of trade unionism for cultural and artistic professions in the country.

– The Union was created during the Junta period [a far-right military dictatorship, which ruled the country from 1967 to 1974]. At that time, they wanted to react to the terrorism of the military regime. Afterwards, they remained active via student demands.

These efforts faced a key hurdle in 2020, when the Greek government proposed educational reforms based on the Bologna Declaration, which established common qualification standards for the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). These amounted to a «substantial degradation» for art students, as Katsiari explains.

– In essence, it has to do with the grading of academic and professional rights. Until that point, we had been ungraded, so there was still a problem. Then the government told us that artists, upon graduation, would simply receive what amounts to another high school diploma. It was a shocking period.

She nevertheless admits that this shift provided renewed ammunition for their work, which subsequently reached newfound dimensions. For her, this has been the «important thing» to keep.

–The truth is that 2020 was a very significant battle fought by the entire student body. A lot of people, who may not have been involved in the past and did not know what collective fighting or organisation meant, became acquainted and active. 

Katsiari was then a secondary education student at an art high school in Athens. As such, what has resonated deeply with her about this period was the sense of camaraderie and continuance it created on all levels.

–It put us all in a convergence that united many students and provided experience. We met with the professional associations of the sector. It felt like the whole world came together, which we see today with this thread of connections that we have maintained. That’s how we had an impact. 

Struggling to Be Heard

Still, a sense of disappointment with the governmental direction persists. In 2024, plans were announced for the establishment of a Higher Academy for Performing Arts. The unions have been fighting against it ever since, with particular difficulty in achieving meaningful communication, as Katsiari describes.

–We had meetings with the Ministries of Culture and Education. It took much ‘pestering’, by calling, sending e-mails, and mobilising outside their buildings. Regardless, it was like talking to a wall. A characteristic answer, in the last meeting we had with the Minister of Education, was «don’t unionise, tell me things that can be done».

She believes that the bill, which was signed on March 26th of this year, does not effectively address student concerns.

–It does not upgrade our schools or studies meaningfully. It does not pave the way for a university that is truly for everyone. Nothing is foreseen in relation to the facilities, the curriculum, the admissions. We are talking about a substantial mockery.

In her eyes, the apparent unwillingness of officials to have direct discussions with students additionally solidifies this conviction.

–When discussions in the pertinent committees were opened, the doors for the students were closed. No-one invited us to express our needs. This is a very illustrative example of what it means to inhibit access to legislation that entirely concerns students. Only when we have taken to the streets and rallied, have things changed.

The Union of Greek Actors, the utmost such body in the country, corroborated the above claims in an announcement. They also took part in the March 26th demonstrations outside the Greek parliament. The Greek Ministry of Education has not responded to a request for comment.

Borderless Connections

As a crucial final point, Katsiari draws attention to what she considers to be the disproportionately small budget allocated towards arts and culture. For her, this perceived injustice is exacerbated by the percentages going to defence and the military.

–There should be, under state responsibility, corridors for graduates and a level in line with both the students and the times. The money instead goes to armaments and the war economy, to warships and weapons. What worries me is this broader situation we are experiencing, which is also reflected in my artistic creations; conflicts, war expansions, and our country’s involvement in them.

Eurostat’s latest (2024) released data for government expenditure by function showcases that «cultural services» received 0.2 percent of the Greek GDP, tying the country for last place with Ireland and Cyprus. «Military defence» spending, on the other hand, took up 2.1 percent and respectively put the country in 5th place.

Approximately 3.000 kilometres north of Athens, the core lines of contention do not appear much different. Geir Grønnestad, a classical guitarist and alumni of the Norwegian Academy of Music, paints a similar picture for Norway.

–Public funding is a key challenge. There has long been a political ambition that at least 1 percent of the government budget should be allocated to culture. This target was almost reached in 2014, when the share was 0.96 percent. In 2025, however, it fell to 0.829 percent. In the government’s proposal for 2026, it was reduced further to 0.818 percent. This means that the sector is receiving a smaller share, despite rising costs and increasing pressure on the field.

Grønnestad has a central stake in the game; he is Vice President of Creo, Norway’s self-described «largest union and interest organization for the arts and culture sector». According to him, this national commitment (or lack thereof) has a ripple effect on all levels of government.

–This pressure is particularly visible at the local level. According to the Telemarksforskning report «Kutt, kutt, kutt over hele linja», many municipalities are cutting cultural services because of strained finances. These directly affect cultural schools, local arts programmes and access to arts education for children and young people. In practice, this means fewer places, reduced breadth of offerings and, in some cases, dismantling of established professional environments.

He further accentuates how these developments directly affect the lives of Norwegian students and aspiring artists.

–There are serious concerns within higher arts education. The decision to close the Norwegian Theatre Academy, at Østfold University College, has weakened an important part of the educational infrastructure for performing arts. For us, this is about the long-term conditions for developing competence, artistic practice and professional environments.

Negotiating the Future

Creo is currently involved in the main collective bargaining round for Norwegian unions, where it represents its almost 11.000 members. For Grønnestad, as with Katsiari, a collective approach remains vital.

–We see fragmentation. The field is highly diverse, with many different professions, employment forms and interests. This makes it demanding to build strong, unified structures and develop common solutions, while also weakening bargaining power. An important part is precisely to bring these groups together and develop collective solutions that strengthen both individuals and the field.

In a final note that echoes back to Katsiari’s initial personal and professional apprehensions, Grønnestad recognises both how the above issues reverberate globally, and how they spell trouble for artists back in Norway.

–Music, dance, and drama programmes are under pressure in several counties, both as educational pathways and professional recruitment arenas. When they are reduced or removed, it weakens the long-term competence base of the sector and the transition from education to professional life. While Norway has strong arts education, many graduates enter a labour market with limited stability, which puts pressure on both professional development and long-term career prospects.