Stage and theater work opportunities

djoolien · Post by **djoolien** » Sun May 31, 2015 2:44 pm

Hello!
I'm a professional stage worker from Canada, with many years of experience, and I'm planning to move to Finland to work and eventually, study.
I've been searching about stage and theater-related jobs, but it's been quite hard to find reliable info on the subject so I'm asking about it here.
Are there opportunities in Finland for someone with show-related skills (sound, lighting, rig, video, show direction and coordination)?
Are there unions, and if so, is being a member mandatory?
Are diplomas or high education required for this kind of work?

Thank you!

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GermanInHelsinki · Post by **GermanInHelsinki** » Sun May 31, 2015 7:53 pm

Your job chances in this field are of course zero unless you speak Finnish.

Even with Finnish it is of course unlikely that someone would keep such a job open for you for several months until it is decided whether your Residence Permit application for this job is approved or rejected.

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Sun May 31, 2015 8:32 pm

djoolien wrote: Are there unions, and if so, is being a member mandatory?

It's voluntary but very common. Participation rates depend on the field.

Flossy1978 · Post by **Flossy1978** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 1:49 am

Why do you ask about unions?

Yeah, you can join one. Most people do as the unions will usually pay a 500 day sum of money if you lose your job (through no fault of your own, I assume).

Unions are pretty active in Finland.

Given the current economic situation in Finland, even if you could speak fluent Finnish, I'm not too sure how much luck you'd have at acquiring a job, especially in a not "important" field.

Good luck!

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 11:03 am

Flossy1978 wrote:Yeah, you can join one. Most people do as the unions will usually pay a 500 day sum of money if you lose your job (through no fault of your own, I assume).

That is what unions would like you to think. But unions have nothing to do with earnings related unemployment money. Funds do. You can join one without joining union. www.ytk.fi and www.finka.fi

Flossy1978 · Post by **Flossy1978** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 1:42 pm

Oh I never knew. The union I was with charged about 35€ a month to belong to them. And yet my friends were in unions for higher up people and they paid just roughly €100 a year. That's so screwy.

The German poster is driving me crazy with the "of course" in every freaking sentence, in every freaking post of theirs

Can't they learn to omit or delete those two words?

Oh wait... I'll be labelled racist for bringing this up.

Flossy1978 · Post by **Flossy1978** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 12:58 am

Oh ok

Well, what effort the @r$3gh013 has to make when writing

How sad.

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