Stay connected to the community during your maternity leave

Are you on parental leave and missing contact with others from the music scene? As a member of the Danish Artist Union, you can become part of Art on Parental Leave, where music, conversations and community bring together people on parental leave from the industry.

By Julie Westh Nielsen

Parental leave can be a time when everyday life and contact with colleagues and peers in the industry change. If you miss getting out, hearing music and meeting others from the music scene, you now have the opportunity to do so through Art on Parental Leave.

Dansk Artist Forbund has joined forces with Kunst på Barsel, Dansk Musiker Forbund, DPA and Autor to give members on parental leave the opportunity to continue being part of the music scene and meet others from the industry.

Once a month, Kunst på Barsel invites people to concerts and community in Copenhagen. The events are tailored to parental leave life with an adjusted sound level, a shorter concert format and space for children, movement and care.

After the concert, the audience and performers are invited to a discussion about parenthood, working life, and the special conditions that characterise the music industry.

Meet others from the industry during your maternity leave

For many musicians, parental leave can also mean distance from the working life and network of which they are normally a part.

In the survey Maternity leave in the music industry, according to a survey carried out by Equalis in 2025, 70 per cent say they are afraid of being forgotten whilst on maternity leave, whilst 57 per cent find it difficult to return to their careers afterwards.

Art on Parental Leave must therefore not only be a cultural experience. The initiative must also create a professional and social community where parents on leave from the music industry can meet, share experiences and maintain contact with the sector.