In the Labour block of episodes of the podcast series, Conversations with  Aliens of Extraordinary Ability, we try to better understand the working conditions in the cultural and creative sector in Norway through  conversations with artist union representatives, researchers and  artists.

In this episode, I (Prerna Bishnoi) speak to Christine Thomassen, the Vice President of Creo, the union for artists and cultural workers in Norway. We try and understand how the image of Creo has changed from being a union for musicians and teachers to encompassing performing artists, visual artists who are both self-employed and employed, the role they play and the policy goals they are setting. Christine speaks about the relation between Creo and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), the social rights of self-employed workers and how the pandemic made the glaring gaps between the working conditions of self-employed creative professionals and the Norwegian welfare system so urgently visible.  

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