Costume and set designers in the theatre of the City of Buenos Aires: the aggravation of labour precariousness in the postpandemic period

Abstract

Based on an analysis of the state of the art, current legislation, and interviews, I will investigate the working conditions of costume and set designers in the
city of Buenos Aires, who carry out their tasks in the theatrical circuits. We will reflect on the problematic construction of the identity of these agents as  workers. We will also take into account the gender perspective since it is important to make visible the place occupied by women and dissidents in the context of Buenos Aires theatre, as they constitute a notable numerical majority in a maledominated circuit. We will begin by considering the interactions
between the different agents in the theatre field. We will mention the main circuits of the theatrical field, focusing specifically on their modes of production and contracting. We will introduce the social actors we are studying: the costume and set designers. We will investigate their characteristics, problems, and specific demands. The central hypothesis is that after the pandemic years, the precariousness of labor that these social actors were already experiencing in the years before covid-19 deepened, and the problems of the Buenos Aires theatre field also worsened.