Through its cultural action, PlayRight provides financial support to projects and federations that contribute to the development of the performing artists’ community. For 2024-2025, five Belgian federations will receive structural support from PlayRight: De Muziekgilde, De Acteursgilde, FACIR, the Fédération Belge des Professionnel-les de l’Humour and the Union des Artistes.

The challenges in our cultural and artistic landscape are many. Therefore, we must recognise the importance of unity and cooperation within the community of artists. The strength of a federation therefore lies in its ability to defend the interests of its members, promote fair, ethical and professional standards, and provide support in all aspects of work in the artistic sector. 

PlayRight is firmly committed to supporting and defending the rights of performers and stands alongside these five federations to support them. 

Are you a musician, actor, dancer or comedian? 

Artists can make their voices heard collectively by joining a federation. This allows them to take action together to ensure their rights are respected and work together for a fairer and more prosperous future! 

Discover the 5 federations supported by PlayRight:

FACIR: for French-speaking musicians  

FACIR (pronounced fakir) is the association for and by musicians of all genres who are from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. Since its creation in 2013, FACIR has acquired some 800 members. FACIR acts as a spokesperson for musicians towards cultural, subsidising and political organisations. Thus, FACIR is present at all discussion and negotiations. For example, the association is involved in the Chambre de Concertations Musiques and the Conseil Supérieur de la Culture.  

FACIR also co-founded the International Artist Organisation, which deals with authors’ rights and neighbouring rights at the European level, specifically the rights derived from streaming services. In addition, FACIR was closely involved in the reform of the artist statute at the federal level. Working alongside the Comité des Concertations des Métiers des Musiques Actuelles (CCMA), which unites press agents, bookers, managers, independent labels and festivals, it aims to unite the current music sector of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. In addition, FACIR also works with SCIVIAS to fight for greater representation of women and minority genders in the music world.  

As a member of FACIR, you get support at every stage of your professional career. They offer training courses, legal advice, help with administrative questions and personal support, podcasts and global advice centres, among other things. The association also offers tangible benefits, such as discounts on cinema tickets at partner cinemas. FACIR has positioned itself as the industry’s armed wing, providing an inclusive and dedicated platform to support and promote musicians in all their creative diversity. 

Join FACIR via this link. 

PlayRight was one of the first structural supports that FACIR was able to benefit from. It allowed us to develop and to play an important role in defending artists. This would not have been possible without this trust. 

Union des Artistes: for French-speaking artists in the music, film, audiovisual and performing sectors  

Belgian and French musicians, singers, dancers, technicians, directors, actors… from the music, film, audiovisual and stage sectors can join l’Union des Artistes du Spectacle. This is the oldest association of performing artists in our country: it was founded in 1927 with the main aim of defending the professional interests of French and Belgian artists in their respective countries.   

Today, the Union continues its social work with artists who, despite a life dedicated to art, sometimes find themselves in difficult situations. The Union strives to strengthen the solidarity ties between the many artists active on stage or screen. With that goal in mind, it carries out philanthropic and solidarity missions by helping its members financially, legally and morally, in defence of the artistic and technical personnel within the sector.  

L’Union des Artistes is recognised as a professional federation by the government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, and they have been working to improve cultural policy in the area for the last 20 years. For example, the association provides financial support to older artists who often receive ludicrously small pensions after their retirement. Furthermore, the association regularly organises thematic courses or workshops for its members. It was also a founding member of UPACT (l’Union de Professionnel·les des Arts et de la Création – pôle Travailleur·euse, founded during the COVID crisis to defend artists’ rights) and campaigned for the federal reform of the artists’ statute.   

Become a member of the Union des Artistes via this link. 

Thanks to PlayRight’s generous financial support, the Union des Artistes will be able to continue managing its growing membership, which is at an all-time high! 

The Belgian Federation of Humour Professionals: for comedians

The Fédération Belge des Professionnel-les de l’Humour (FBPH) is still a young association: it was founded in 2021 by comedian Vincent Taloche, who became its president.  

During the COVID crisis, it became clear that Belgian comedians would benefit from uniting in a representative body. Moreover, Taloche was regularly approached by performers who needed help to start or evolve as a comedian. He therefore created an organisation that could meet the needs of many artists in the sector (financial support, production, artistic advice, communication, contacts, and so on).  

FBPH’s mission is to unite artists, operators and technicians in the Belgian comedy industry and to protect, promote and develop comedy works in all their forms by liaising with political bodies, the media and the private sector.  

All types of comedians are welcome at FBPH: stand-up, duos, trios, companies, impersonators, songwriters, radio and TV columnists, writers, actors, and so on. Professionals involved in the comedy world (producers, promoters, presenters, festivals, press agents, stage managers, videographers…) can also become members. As a result, the federation stimulates creative ideas.  

It also enables members to set up ambitious artistic projects by offering a professional network. It also offers support to emerging artists. The federation also informs and advises its members. Throughout the year, FBPH organises free workshops, training sessions and networking meetings. 

Finally, the federation establishes a clear and unified dialogue with all public and private stakeholders, political bodies, other national and international associations and federations, etc.  

Join the FBPH via this link 

De Muziekgilde: for musicians in Dutch-speaking Belgium.  

De Muziekgilde, formerly GALM, was founded in 2007. It is an interest group for authors and performers in the music sector, including semi-professional and professional musicians of all genres, as well as music-producing DJs. The association advocates better social status and working conditions in the music sector, fair remuneration for producing and performing musicians and a legal entrenchment of accumulated rights. 

On behalf of its members, De Muziekgilde communicates these objectives to governments, (cultural) policymakers, the media, broadcasters, (music) publishers, organisations for the collective management of copyright and neighbouring rights and all other players in the Belgian music and audiovisual industry. De Muziekgilde is also committed to this same mission towards the general public. 

De Muziekgilde aims not only to be a partner in policy negotiations, but also to be the association that communicates quickly about changes and innovations in the musical-cultural field. The organisation is thus both an advocate and infohub.   

Members of the association also get access to the live and online info sessions organised by the guild, which cover (1) work and performance, (2) money and legal matters, (3) health and welfare and (4) training in development. 

De Muziekgilde also pursues collaborations with other associations that share of its objectives and views on topical issues, such as the Belgian Screen Composers Guild, Componisten Archipel Vlaanderen, the French-speaking colleagues of FACIR and De Acteursgilde, among others.  

Join De Muziekgilde by clicking on this link. 

De Acteursgilde: for Dutch-speaking actors and actresses 

De Acteursgilde is the Flemish interest group for professional Dutch-speaking actors. They focus primarily on the audiovisual sector, but they will also make their voice heard in the stage sector when necessary. The association is a discussion partner for producers, broadcasters, trade unions, and the government. When it comes to consultations on policy, subsidies, wage formation, neighbouring rights, taxation, the future of our media landscape… it is only through acting as a collective that members can make a difference.   

Members of De Acteursgilde can turn to them for questions on benefits, rights and obligations, contracts and more. If the information is more readily available elsewhere, they will tell you where to find it. 

Besides defending its members’ interests and advising its members, De Acteursgilde also values the importance of bringing its members together. At the annual “Night of the Actor”, De Acteursgilde invites you to a party for their members. That party typically starts with the General Assembly: members get an explanation of the association’s annual figures, as well as its operations and achievements of the past year. Information is exchanged, and sensitive or worrying topics are discussed in depth. Yet it remains a party: the perfect event to get to know faces or bump into old friends, but above all to have a blast while you’re there! 

Join De Acteursgilde via this link.