Insurance in the cultural sector

In the Netherlands, it is common practice to insure yourself against unexpected events. This applies to both private individuals and companies. You can insure yourself against anything and everything. Often, insurance has to do with insuring income when you are no longer able to work or against costs due to possible accidents or damages. By paying a premium, you can claim financial compensation when such a situation actually occurs.

How do you determine if you need insurance?

Initially, you determine whether you are a private individual, employed by a company or an independent contractor. Many times there is a combination. In each case, there are several types of insurance, which are described further on. In some cases it is required by law to take out insurance. This applies, for example, to WA insurance when you drive a car and health insurance for every resident of the Netherlands. You may also want to take out specific insurance against possible risks that may arise during the export of a production or an event.

What types of insurance are there?

We hebben, met dank aan beroepskunstenaar.nl, een aantal verzekeringen voor je op een rijtje gezet. Op de website van de Kamer van Koophandel worden deze en andere verzekeringen ook uitvoerig besproken. Of vul de checklist '8 belangrijke verzekeringen voor (startende) ondernemers' van Centraal Beheer in.

Insurance for individuals and employees

Social Services

Every Dutch citizen who meets the conditions is entitled to social benefits such as welfare, study financing and AOW. You do not pay a specific premium for this and it is paid from tax money.

Health Insurance

This is mandatory for every resident of the Netherlands aged 18 and older. You take it out through one of the many commercial providers. Health insurance is separate from your job.

Employee Insurance

The premium for this and the actions it takes are paid by your employer, if you have one. You are thus (partially) insured for maintaining your income in case of illness, disability and after possible dismissal.

Pension provision

If you are employed then you often build up a pension, which is paid for by you and the employer. If you are self-employed, you can take out additional insurance for this.

Third-party liability (WA)

It is mandatory for motorists to have third-party insurance. It is also recommended for everyone else. You cover yourself for a relatively low amount against damages that can sometimes be high.

Other insurance

There are a lot of other insurances that are somewhat less related to working in the cultural sector, but can be useful. For example, you can also insure against damage to a home, your belongings being stolen on vacation and losing something. Look into insurance companies for that or get an insurance agency to help you.

Insurance for the self-employed and businesses

If you work in the cultural sector you may be an independent contractor. The insurance policies below cover that.

Disability insurance (aov)

As a self-employed person, you are not covered by the WIA, which means you will have to insure yourself against disability. This can be done through a private company but unfortunately those costs are often high. The insurance depends on the type of work you do and how you live. You can decide to what extent you want to have yourself insured. In recent years you see several bread funds emerging. This is a cheaper, alternative form of insurance for the self-employed. Here you save money with a group of people, often acquaintances or people from your profession. This can be paid out for a certain period in case of illness. Read more about the bread fund via this link. Now that the new pension agreement seems to mention a mandatory AOV, many ZZP-ers are worried. Nothing is clear yet about the form and cost of this mandatory insurance. If you want to know more about the FAQ and its answers, click this link to the Arts Union website. Here you will find more information about what you can do in the event of an accident or occupational disease and about what you can do as an artist in the event of illness.

Unemployment Insurance

This does not exist for self-employed people. You will therefore have to save money for periods when you have no income.

Pension provision

As a self-employed person, you can make these yourself through a private pension insurer.

Third-party and other insurance

You probably have third-party insurance as a private individual. However, this does not cover business risks. Therefore, take a moment to check what the consequences might be if something goes wrong during your work and take out the appropriate insurance. The following links can get you started:

• Information on insuring causing damage.
• You can also download a chart on liability.

Insurance for the arts and culture sector

In the arts and culture sector, you come into contact with a lot of gear, instruments, facilities, equipment and the like. These things have to be transported, they can be damaged by weather or fire, and they can break down at the hands of the public. You can get insurance for a lot of specific cases that occur around productions or events. Always look carefully at what you want to insure and at what amount, for example. Compare several insurance providers and look not only at the difference in premium but also at what is covered and up to what amount.

How do you take out insurance?

First, check through a professional association you belong to, or a hobby association, to see if you might be able to be part of a collective. Often you can then take out insurance with a group discount. Most insurance policies can now be purchased over the Internet. You can obtain information directly from various companies and take out insurance directly there. You can also use an insurance agency, where they can help you make the best choice. Especially if you are organizing a specific production or event, it is good to have someone look into it if you don't know much about it yourself. Finally, the Chamber of Commerce also has a list of insurance for startups for you on their website.

Source

We used a number of experts from the field for this text. For example, as an artist you can find a lot of information on the website beroepskunstenaar.nl. If you want to know everything about business management, you can use the information from the Chamber of Commerce.

If, from your expertise, you yourself have knowledge that would fit this topic, or if you see opportunities to improve this text, we look forward to receiving your message at info@cultuuracademy.nl.