Membership conditions

I agree to pay the monthly amount of 1 percent of my gross salary up to the respective maximum contribution limit to the GDBA.

In the case of employment, the monthly contribution is calculated from the average value of the annual income; it amounts to at least € 20.00.

In case of unemployment, receipt of pension, maternity leave and parental leave, the monthly fee is reduced to € 7,00.

For pupils, students and trainees (associated membership) there is the possibility of a non-contributory membership without entitlement to legal protection on presentation of a valid school or study certificate. After the end of the training or studies, an automatic conversion to the reduced fee of € 7,- takes place.

The punctual payment of dues in the amount corresponding to income is one of the obligations of the Articles of Association and is, among other things, a prerequisite for the granting of legal protection. Therefore, any change in the gross salary must be reported immediately to the head office for the purpose of adjusting the membership fee. By handing over the membership card, I simultaneously confirm receipt of the Articles of Association.

Extract from the statutes

§ 2 Purpose and tasks

(1) The purpose and mission of the GDBA Association is to safeguard and promote the artistic, social, economic and legal interests of the German theater in general and its members in particular.

(2) The tasks of the GDBA association in detail are as follows:
a) Organization of all democratic forces for the preservation and expansion of culture on a non-partisan basis.
b) Education of members about their social situation and about the importance of their obligatory tasks in the field of art.
c) Cooperation with employee representatives.
d) Improvement of salary and working conditions through collective bargaining agreements.
e) Further development of labor law in the theater, in particular through the establishment and maintenance of stage arbitration tribunals.
f) Safeguarding of retirement benefits.
g) Use of all union means, including strikes
h) Maintenance of professional statistics.
i) Provision of funds to achieve organizational goals.
j) Providing legal advice and legal protection in disputes arising from employment relationships with a stage, contracts for work with a stage, statutory social insurance or the Versorgungsanstalt der deutschen Bühnen within the framework of the special legal protection regulations.
k) Publishing its own journal and the Deutsches Bühnen-Jahrbuch (German Stage Yearbook).
l) Maintaining and promoting relations with domestic and foreign professional organizations of the theater.
m) Representing professional matters before the public.
n) Promoting young talent.
o) Participation in the regulation and supervision of the entire educational system for the theater, in the establishment of professional schools and examination centers.
p) Influence on legislation affecting cultural life.
q) Promote any further development of artistic work in the field of the theater.

§ 3 Prerequisites for membership

(1) All employees, freelancers and self-employed persons, students and trainees listed below may become members of the Association irrespective of gender, skin color, ethnic or social affiliation, genetic characteristics, religion or ideology, nationality, political opinion, membership of a national minority, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression of gender:

a) Singers (solo, opera choir), actors, dancers, individual performers including cabaret artists and puppeteers, orchestra managers, artistic directors (in particular opera directors, theater directors, ballet directors, directors of children's and youth theater), heads of the artistic operations office, schedulers, equipment managers, lighting designers, theater musicians, advisors and assistants to artistic directors and artistic directors:(in particular opera directors, ballet directors, directors of the children's and youth theater), heads of the artistic operations office, schedulers, set designers, light designers, dramatic musicians, advisors and assistants to artistic directors and artistic operations, theater photographers and graphic designers, press officers and public relations officers, and persons in similar positions.

b) Artistic stage directors (such as dance/ballet masters as well as training directors, stage and costume designers, chorus directors, stage managers (directors), conductors, study directors, choreographers, dramaturges, bandmasters, répétiteurs, stage managers, prompters, theater teachers) and their assistants.

c) Technical stage managers of the machinery, lighting, sound, decoration and costume departments (in particular technical directors and technical managers, painting room managers, lighting managers, stage sculpture workshop managers, costume workshop managers, chief make-up artists, sound engineers) and their assistants. Senior inspectors and inspectors, theatrical painters and scenic artists, scenic painters and scenic artists (costumers), costume painters, lighting masters and lighting operators, stage craftsmen, make-up artists, props masters and props operators, wardrobe masters, stage managers, event technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians, sound technicians.This also applies to sound technicians, administrative staff and persons in similar positions if it is agreed in their employment contract that their work is primarily artistic.

(2) A prerequisite for membership is the acceptance of these Articles of Association.

(3) Members of the Association who have acquired membership by providing incorrect information cannot derive any claims against the Association from their membership.

§ 6 Termination and suspension of membership

(1) The membership expires by:

a) Notice of resignation to be given in writing or in text form to GDBA. The notice period is three months to the end of a calendar quarter. The head office shall confirm receipt of the notice of resignation in text form, stating the date on which membership ends.

b) Death, or deletion from the list of members. The member must be notified of the deletion by registered letter. (...)

§ 10 Legal protection

(1) Legal protection shall be granted after a membership of 6 months and only for legal claims which have arisen after the expiry of this period. It shall be granted for one instance only and shall include the provision of legal representation and the assumption of costs in the event of loss of the case.

(2) Punctual payment of contributions in the amount corresponding to income is a prerequisite for the granting of legal protection.

(3) The granting of legal protection may be rescinded if the member violates the legal protection provisions established by the Main Board or fails to fulfill the obligations under the Articles of Association for the duration of the legal dispute. In such cases, the member shall reimburse the expenses incurred as a result of the legal dispute.

(4) Further details shall be regulated by the rules on legal protection to be issued by the General Council (cf. § 2 j).