Research

Freelancers in England's creative and cultural sectors are being invited to participate in research carried out on behalf of Arts Council England (ACE).

Academics from University of Essex Business School and East 15 Acting School are conducting the research that will help ACE “build a picture of the freelance workforce in all the disciplines it supports”.

The first stage of the research is a survey asking current freelancers, or those who have freelanced in the past, to share their experiences of working in combined arts, dance, literature, libraries, museums, music, theatre and the visual arts.

The survey is open for responses until 31 October.

Project leader, Professor Melissa Tyler, said researchers “want to use this project to give freelancers a voice”.

“We are delighted to be leading this survey and research project which will help shape Arts Council England’s policy and planning for the next three years, making sure that support is targeted where it is most needed.”

Michelle Dickson, ACE Director, Strategy, said that, by taking part in the survey, freelancers “will be helping us to understand the opportunities and challenges that they are facing”.

“[This] will help us at the Arts Council develop better policies and advocate for a fairer and more sustainable future for workers across the cultural sector.”

An independent survey commissioned by Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) has found widespread support for continued and increased investment in the arts.

The Arts Council’s General Population Survey, conducted between May and June this year, found 79% of respondents supported public investment in arts and culture organisations, while 70% agreed with public investment in individual artists.

Over half (58%) of respondents said they would vote for a political candidate who advocated for increased spending on arts and culture. 

In comparison, 9% said they would vote against, while 33% were undecided.

Karly Greene, ACNI’s Director of Strategic Development, said the survey “shows strong support for the arts”.

“It clearly demonstrates the value which the public places on continued and increased investment in the arts infrastructure, for the benefit of our economy, tourism, education and personal health and wellbeing.”

The survey also found more people are attending arts events in Northern Ireland than at the time the last survey took place in 2019-2020.

Almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents said they had attended an arts activity or event in the past 12 months, compared to 68% at the time of the last survey.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has awarded £250k for research into how blind people experience art in museums and the ways it can be enhanced.

A collaboration between Dr Ken Wilder and Dr Aaron McPeake (University of the Arts London), Dr Clare O’Dowd from the Henry Moore Institute and the disability-led arts organisation Shape Arts, the project is the first to be awarded financing from AHRC’s exhibition fund.

The three-year study will feature a research season and public engagement events culminating in a 2025 exhibition at the Henry Moore Institute, predominantly featuring works by blind or partially-blind artists and directed by a blind curator.

Working with Shape Arts, the project will also generate the first international database of blind and partially-blind sculptural artists.

Wilder said the project would investigate the role that “touch, sound, smell and proprioception – the perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body – play in engaging with sculpture”.

Professor Christopher Smith, AHRC Executive Chair, said: “As audiences and venues change, and as we seek to be more inclusive and bring our culture to everyone, the nature of how we stage and curate exhibitions needs to evolve. 

“This project will unlock fresh ways for different and often overlooked audiences to experience our historical and cultural heritage, ensuring its value can be fully appreciated by many more people, but they will also inform all of our exhibition making.”

The UK Government's decision to rejoin a European Union research programme will help drive growth in the creative industries by providing access to grant funding opportunities, Creative UK has said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that from this week British researchers can apply once again for grants from the £85bn Horizon programme.

In total the UK will contribute about £2.6bn on average a year to Horizon and Copernicus, an Earth observation satellite programme, with the UK’s contributions due to start from January.

Creative UK Chief Executive Caroline Norbury said the Horizon deal has “transformative potential” to increase investment in the creative industries for start-ups and innovation.

"Cross border collaboration through research and development is crucial to fuelling the power of creativity to drive innovation, and access to the Horizon Europe programme promises to turbo charge this potential," she said.

"In unlocking access to Horizon Europe funds, the UK’s creative sector will now be able to benefit from €170m made available by the new European Knowledge and Innovation Community, which Creative UK co-founded. 

"This initial investment seeks to increase the innovation capacity and competitiveness of Europe’s Cultural and Creative Industries, and is expected to leverage a further €700m for start-ups and innovation.

“The transformative potential of investments such as these are precisely why Creative UK is working tirelessly to ensure the UK’s cultural sector and creative industries continues to play a leading role in global collaboration. 

"As Horizon Europe opens its doors to the UK once more, we will be equally determined in ensuring our creative economy makes the very best of the opportunity today’s agreement represents.”

A survey commissioned by the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (Bectu) suggests that industrial disputes in the US are having a significant adverse effect on the UK’s film and TV workforce.

The union questioned nearly 4,000 freelance film and TV workers in this country about the impact strike action by American writers and actors has had on their employment, finances and mental health.

Three-quarters of the survey respondents reported currently not working, and 80% said their employment had been directly impacted by the US industrial disputes.

Over a third of participants said that they are struggling to pay household bills, rent or mortgages, while 90% said that they were worried about their financial security, 

Nearly a quarter said they did not see themselves working in the industry in five years' time.

Commenting on the survey results, the head of Bectu, Philippa Childs, said, “Much of the rhetoric surrounding the US dispute is about the actors, but as our survey shows, the impact on crew and other film and TV workers is severe and cannot be underestimated.

“This is a workforce that has already faced incredible hardship throughout and following the pandemic and has now been hit by a second crisis in just a few years. 

“Many of our members have been laid off from productions under ‘force majeure’ clauses with little notice or pay, and with 6 in 10 respondents telling us they are struggling with their mental health, it’s clear the impact also extends beyond financial insecurity.

“For too long, we have seen a pattern of engaging crew where they are picked up and dropped again with little notice, protection or reassurances about future employment. They are often the first to suffer and the hardest hit when production is impacted.

“The government is vocal about the huge cultural and economic value of the creative industries; it must put its money where its mouth is and look after those who work in the sector. Likewise, urgent industry collaboration and commitment from employers to support the freelance workforce is critical if we want to UK to remain a cultural hub.”

A new seven-month creative project hopes to highlight the experiences of older autistic adults with learning difficulties in Scotland.

The collaboration between Heriot-Watt University and Scottish Autism will use filmmaking and art to shine a light on the hopes, concerns and needs of this group, while also exploring together what future social care services could look like.

The AHRC-funded collaboration is titled: 'Ageing, health, and social care: the meaningful engagement of autistic people with learning disabilities'.

Autistic filmmakers Iceberg Productions will interview autistic people with learning disabilities, aged 55 and over, to create a documentary which will be presented at a series of workshops.

Professor Mary Stewart, Director of Social Interaction, Mental Health and Wellbeing at Heriot-Watt, said the motivation for the project "came from the unfortunate reality that autistic people with learning disabilities do not often have their voices heard in research".

She added: “We know that using art as a tool for discussion can be very effective and allows for a range of ways to engage with discussion.

"The outcomes of the project will ultimately be used to raise awareness and provoke discussion with service professionals, policymakers and the wider community in Scotland and beyond."