Arts Council England Commissions Freelance : Futures
In response to ongoing challenges faced by freelancers within the creative sector, Arts Council England have commissioned a ‘Freelance : Futures’ consortium to share learning and take action to improve working conditions. Existing research highlights that independent creative professionals account for nearly half of the cultural sector workforce1. Working as a freelancer continues to be a precarious position across the arts, museums and libraries. From working conditions to pay rates, inequalities for non-salaried professionals are historic and ongoing. In addition, the impact of the pandemic has resulted in many freelancers leaving the cultural sector.
The ‘Freelance: Futures’ consortium will deliver a programme of online events from Monday 16 May until Friday 15 July, which will encourage independent practitioners, cultural organisations, unions, funders and policymakers to explore how fairer working conditions for freelancers can be achieved across the arts and culture sector. Events will cover four themes: organising for equitable freelancing conditions, understanding freelancer rights and resources, transforming organisations to create equitable freelancer conditions and policy making to support equitable freelancer conditions.
All consortium events will be accessible, free to attend and will result in a permanent platform containing resources, toolkits, and documented workshops and talks for ongoing use. Due to freelancers often not being remunerated for time taken to attend sector events, the consortium has created £250 bursaries to enable more freelancers to take part. Information regarding how to apply for a bursary will be available in the coming weeks, via the Freelance : Futures website.
The ‘Freelance: Futures’ consortium comprises various independent practitioner organisations and freelancer-led networks including Freelancers Make Theatre Work, Inc Arts, Migrants In Culture, MAX Musician and Artist Exchange, people make it work, Something To Aim For and What Next?
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England said: “Freelancers are the lifeblood of the cultural sector and yet they face unique challenges. These challenges became acute during the pandemic and continue today. The creative and cultural sector is only as strong as the talent of the individuals that work in it. We need to retain the best talent as well as bringing in new talent that reflects the wide range of backgrounds that make England such a vibrant place to live. We therefore have to make the creative and cultural sector a viable and attractive place to work.
“That’s why we’re bringing together individuals, organisations, funders and partners to discuss the changes that are required to create more equitable and sustainable employment for all parts of the cultural sector.
“We want to encourage an open dialogue between individuals working in the cultural sector and I want to thank the consortium for leading and shaping a discussion that is designed to identify practical, long-term improvements.”
Freelance: Futures consortium partners said: “The work of Freelance: Futures aims to address inequalities existing in the arts and culture sector, prior to and exacerbated by the pandemic. Experiences we, our friends and colleagues, as freelancers have all experienced in working and surviving in the arts.
“We are coming together, to gather different perspectives, across artforms and communities, to create a sector-wide space to learn, resource and build more equitable conditions for freelancing. As working in isolation will not bring the scale of change we seek, this programme is a call for us all to work better together to change the conditions in which we work, create and support arts and culture.”
The consortium invites cultural organisations to attend with their ‘ecosystem’ of collaborators, partners and stakeholders to embed ongoing learning and actions.
These organisations are also asked, as part of an ongoing commitment for positive change, to nominate and pay for at least two freelancers from within their networks to attend the programme.