Advocacy and Change
We have gathered a number of research reports from across the Freelance : Futures consortium to support the conversations and work across the summer programme.
This is offered as a starting point for connecting different knowledge ecologies, and is by no means representative of the breadth of existing research. We encourage you to use Mighty Networks to connect to other existing research work, as well as continue to share and exchange, and we hope this resource proves a useful catalyst for change.
Freelancer working conditions
“This report identifies the core problems facing the workforce and makes practical recommendations for change. Unlike other such studies, this one is written by performing arts freelancers. It aims to articulate the needs and concerns of the workforce from the perspective of the workforce.”
Wales Freelancer Task Force - Rebalancing and Reimagining (2020)
Strategies to support arts and performance freelancers and Road to Recovery - follow-up report
Freelancers in the Dance Sector (2019)
The aim of this research project was to better understand the working lives of freelancers in the UK dance sector, including their support needs, contributions they make to the economy and society, and their psychological wellbeing.
Creative Freelancers, draws on evidence from 700 freelancers and around 50 organisations that use them to demonstrate who these workers are and what they do for the fastest growing sector of the British economy.
Research into Freelance practitioners report to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (2021)
To explore the needs of freelance artists seeking to develop, create and produce small to mid-scale work on an independent basis
Impact of Covid 19 on freelancers
Creative labour in the era of Covid-19: the case of freelancers (EU Report)
This working paper identifies some key areas of policy intervention for advancing socially sustainable and fair solutions for freelancers working in the creative industries, who are among those have suffered the most from the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, we focus on those who work entirely on their own account, without employees (i.e. the ‘solo self-employed’), and who undertake project- or task-based work on a fixed-term basis.
ESCR-funded project: Freelancers in the Dark (2021)
The report includes a discussion of the theatre industry before COVID-19, before exploring the social, economic and cultural impacts of the pandemic, and the responses of freelancers including the ingenuity, resourcefulness and resilience of freelancers across the industry. Finally we outline our conclusions and future recommendations for the industry, including an urgent need to prepare for future challenges.
Freelancers Make Theatre Work: Omicron Variant Impact Survey (2021-2022)
“Freelancers Make Theatre Work are an inclusive, independent community for the 200,000+ self- employed and freelance workers from all areas of theatre, opera, dance, and live performance, who make up 70% of the UK theatre workforce. Freelancers Make Theatre Work were connected with DCMS via Society of Theatres London in the week commencing 20th December.” This is a short survey to gather data based evidence on the impact of the pandemic on freelancers in the UK.
Culture in Crisis: Impacts of Covid-19 on the UK cultural sector and where we go from here
‘This report summarises the findings of one of the world’s largest investigations into the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the cultural industries.’
Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PIPA) - Covid Report (2021)
The purpose of this research, conducted in October 2020, is to investigate the impact of Covid on people with intersectional caring responsibilities working in the performing arts - an industry, that has been forced to close, resulting in widespread redundancies and very little work available for a predominantly self-employed workforce.
Sector change for increased equity
IncArts: Hold On - Diversity and managing the Arts (2020)
‘Hold on, produced in partnership with The Bridge Group, exposes inequalities in the arts exacerbated during Covid-19, and calls for urgent, practical action. This report is about who gets ahead – and how – in UK arts management. The study includes over half a million quantitative data-points, more than 500 survey responses and 60 hours of qualitative interviews to make practical recommendations for change.’
Migrants in Culture: What is the impact of the Hostile Environment on the cultural sector? (2019)
This report summarises our research and provides evidence on the impact of the Hostile Environment policy on the cultural sector in the UK. As a group of migrants directly experiencing increasing hostility in the cultural sector, we launched a UK-wide survey between May and July 2019 to collect key information on the experiences of all cultural workers, migrant and non-migrant.
IncArts: Covid impact on diverse arts workforce (2020)
The views of over 500 Black, Asian and diverse individuals and organisations are represented in this report. These views have been gathered through research projects conducted by experts in social exclusion research, as well as Inc Arts snapshot surveys, and regular weekly zoom meetings with individuals, leaders of arts organisations and membership groups, as well as campaigning groups including Museums Detox, Theatre Call to Action and Shades of Noir. Our representation includes D/deaf and disabled membership groups and individuals.
Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PIPA) - Best Practice (2018)
PIPA’s first Best Practice Research Project was undertaken in partnership with The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. The aim was to investigate barriers facing parents and carers working in the theatre industry, identify their needs and any existing supportive practices that could be shared, developed and trialled between participating theatre organisations across the UK.
Advocacy and reflections on culture and the culture sector
Jemma Desai: This Work Isn’t For Us (2020)
‘This is a paper which advocates for change, but it does not centre the need to explain why that change is needed. I assume that as a given. I refer to reports generated by agencies who administer the arts sector and studies that confirm this ‘objectively’, and I have grappled with such papers in the writing of this report, but here I offer an alternative to the ‘top down’ narratives on inclusion, one generated from cultural workers, in the grounded reality of such narratives.‘
Voices that Shake! Shake the system research report: a decade of change 2010-2020
‘Shake! the System Research Report, A Decade of Shaping Change 2010–2020 aims to document, analyse and share the approaches, methods and practices developed by Shake!’s facilitators and participants throughout the years. The knowledge and practice generated have had transformative impacts and we know that this can multiply and spread, nurturing the movements of now, and movements to come.’
Migrants in Culture: A culture recovery for migrants
‘Migrants In Culture and partners have produced a document with 12 actions for recovery. It educates on, and advocates for, a recovery of the UK culture sector that is shaped by the experiences, needs and leadership of migrants and those most marginalised in our sector.’
Live Art Sector Research – A Report Mapping the UK Live Art Sector is the first ever survey of the sector’s impact and influence. It will help readers to identify ways to support artists and organisations who work with a range of ambitious experimental, process-based, and participatory practices.
Centre for Cultural Value (University of Leeds) - Research and Evaluation Practice
A free online resource collection for cultural professionals that brings the collective intelligence of the sector together in one place, by you, for you.