This structural account of independent performing arts in Europe is complimented by an analysis of the challenging social situation within the field. This book presents a neo-institutional examination of the organizational field including its routines, scripts, and expectations which provides a contribution to theatre studies, labour studies, and to social and cultural policy studies as well as valuable context for current advocacy and governance. This study offers knowledge based on empirical data and thus a foundation that is equally important for scholarly discourse, cross-national learning, and scientifically based recommendations for action to administration, the cultural policy level, and associations alike. The book examines the independent performing arts communities in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.