Is financial insecurity the biggest threat to the performing arts?
There is an exodus of freelance theatre professionals – particularly in areas like stage management and wardrobe. To address this,…
Posts
Women in the arts and under-35s more likely to quit sector
Women in the arts are finding work “incompatible” with caregiving responsibilities, a report by the Creative Industries Policy and…
Freelancers: Building a values-led, financially thriving practice
Freelancers are too often treated as bolt-ons to institutional plans but, as Minoti Parikh argues, the sector is structurally depe…
The squeeze: Freelancers in a polycrisis economy
Although freelance work is a term used widely in the sector and in government debates, it is not recognised in policy terms which,…
DCMS’ call for unpaid City of Culture panellists provokes inclusivity concerns
Experts and “proven leaders” have been invited to apply to evaluate UK City of Culture bids – prompting criticism for its unpaid s…
How touring musicians can earn income on the go
What are the challenges of life as a touring musician? Is it possible to develop sustainable income streams on the road? Daniel Gr…
The invisible backbone: Freelance enablers in the arts
Behind every performance, exhibition and education or community project, significant numbers of undervalued freelancers are making…
Shared ground: Artists, academics and the rise of the independent researcher
Increasingly, artists and academics inhabit overlapping terrains. Supporting their precarity demands new infrastructure, argue NCA…
Equity says Manchester Pride liquidation is ‘hugely concerning’ for those owed money
The performers’ union Equity held a meeting yesterday (22 October) for performers and creatives affected by Manchester Pride’s…
Philharmonia refutes musicians’ claims of ‘daylight robbery’ in row over BBC fees
The Philharmonia has pushed back against complaints from musicians over recent contract changes that allow it to retain media fees…
Governance Now: An interview with Yasmin Khan
Ahead of this year’s Governance Now 2025 conference, producer Rowena Price talks to Arts Council England’s Yasmin Khan about h…
Creative union leader expresses hope freelance champion becomes full commissioner
Creative industries union leader Philippa Childs has suggested a forthcoming freelance champion could develop into a more fulsome…
‘We can’t insist councils prioritise culture’, former shadow DCMS minister admits
Council leaders who don’t understand the power of culture to grow the local economy are “really missing a trick,” Mayor of Wes…
Arts Pay Survey 2025: Earners dread unexpected bills
Nearly 20% of full-time arts workers say they would experience “serious difficulty” if they were suddenly forced to cover an unexp…
Creative UK outlines sector’s dreams for freelance champion
The incoming creative freelance champion must “strengthen” the voice of those outside of traditional salaried roles in government,…
Music makers promised speedier access to royalties
An organisation that manages more than 45 million works of music is to pay artists monthly rather than quarterly when their tracks…
Arts Pay Survey 2025: Preliminary findings
Freelance arts workers are earning an average annual salary 20.5% less than the benchmark set by the Living Wage Foundation’s �…
Nearly half of performing arts freelancers earn less than the living wage, survey finds
44% of performing arts freelancers earned less than the national living wage in the 2023-24 financial year, compared to 34% the ye…
Theatre initiative aims to support freelancers using benefits system
A programme for people from working-class backgrounds in theatre is exploring new ways to help creative freelancers get paid while…
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