Different types of contracts are used for individual types of artistic activities (see the Status of Artists), collaborations or projects. In the following part of this chapter you will find an overview of the most important types of contracts used in the Czech cultural sector as well as general and practical information on entering into contracts and on breaches of contracts and their possible consequences.
Knowing the principles of contracting is necessary especially when one of the contracting parties is based abroad. Any misunderstandings arising during the negotiations with a foreign partner may be rather difficult to resolve.
It is, therefore, particularly important to take into account the cross-border aspects of artistic activities; for example, when negotiating the remuneration of a foreign director, the applicable tax should be paid in the respective country. The cross-border aspect is also important in determining who will bear the transport costs within the implementation of a project or which country’s law will apply when the contracting parties have their places of residence or places of business in different countries.
A number of professional associations engaged in the culture in the Czech Republic have drawn up (or have commissioned the drawing up of) contract template, making most of them available to the public on the Internet for free download or other use free of charge. This website, too, offers several of the most frequently used contract templates along with explanatory annotations, which should be easy to use especially for artists and other people engaged in the cultural sector. The contract templates and annotations also outline what must be taken into account when entering into a contract with a foreign person.