Abstract

The essay moves from a descriptive analysis of working conditions in the performing arts sector in order to outline some emblematic characteristics of cognitive work in general. More precisely, it focuses on the indistinguishable intertwine of personal and working life in a sociological perspective and on the reasons why performing artists tend to perform working activities that are not recognised as such. Lastly, the analysis addresses the notion of informal work and the theories that expand the notion of work and the object of labour law. The emphasis of the study on work in performing arts allows to exemplify that the notion of work is a relative concept, the content of which depends on workers’ claims through individual and collective processes.