The invisible backbone: Freelance enablers in the arts

When we talk about freelancers in the arts, in policy discussions, sector reports and media coverage, we invariably mean musicians, actors, visual artists, performers and stage crew. That’s only right: they’re navigating precarious careers, and their situation has reached crisis point.

Yet there’s another group of essential freelancers who are facing often identical challenges, yet they’re rarely talked about.

They’re the freelance ‘enablers’: fundraisers, marketing and communications specialists, trainers, evaluators/researchers and project managers who secure the funding, connect work with audiences, evidence the impact, advocate to policymakers, funders and partners, and hold complex projects together.

They’re critical when organisations need specialist expertise, or can’t afford an ongoing, salaried person. They bring unique perspectives that can only be gained through working independently. As one freelancer put it: “One of the valuable things about how I work across many organisations, is that (within the bounds of confidentiality) I can share information and practices about how others are working which is beneficial for all.”

But as funding shrinks and organisations struggle to survive, we’re at risk of losing this expertise and experience.

The current reality

I’ve been freelancing in music and the arts for more than 25 years. I’ve always been busy, mainly through word of mouth. Until recently. In the last two years, the bottom has dropped out of work in the sector. I’m wondering whether to leave, and I’m not alone.

I decided to find out just how widespread this is. 23 freelance enablers responded to my survey, and the results reveal a workforce navigating extraordinary pressures.

Nearly a fifth are considering leaving the sector – two people already had. Around half are subsidising their arts work with freelancing elsewhere or developing new services. When asked to rate their confidence in surviving as freelancers on a scale of 1-10, responses averaged just 6.

“I had to give up working in the arts as it just got too hard,” wrote one project manager with 20 years’ experience. “We’re highly skilled yet massively underpaid and undervalued. It was heartbreaking, but I had no choice.”

“I think by this time next year, I’ll either be back in an in-house role or only working for non-arts clients,” wrote one communications specialist. Another said: “I get so frustrated by the hours we spend talking about EDI in the arts – when the most fundamental thing is what people are paid. Working in the arts assumes a higher earning partner, and those of us from a working-class background don’t have family support to sub low pay.”

How the sector treats freelancers

The parallels with artistic precarity are clear. Freelance enablers describe similar unpaid hours, late payments and uncertainty around contracts. This is never seen as intentional or malicious: freelancers know organisations are overstretched and that the root of the problem is the massive undervaluing of the arts in the UK. But we need to be realistic about sustainability, and the risk of knowledge drain.

Budgets and day rates that have remained the same for years, even decades, are shrinking even further. Freelancers are absorbing these costs because they care and can’t imagine doing anything else. “I – and many others – are in this first and foremost for our passion for arts and culture and go above and beyond to deliver,” said one respondent.

Many cited poor practices. Being contacted at short notice, scope creep and vague briefs. And clients who don’t understand how to work with freelancers – particularly those in larger organisations who perhaps haven’t freelanced themselves.

‘Ghosting’ is also a growing problem. Clients make enquiries or agree a contract, freelancers factor work into schedules and cashflow, then hear nothing: “One large organisation contracted me, changed the brief a number of times, and then stopped responding to me.”

Networks of resilience

Respondents to my survey were mindful of the pressures everyone in the sector is facing, and keen to act with empathy and solidarity. And, as with our artist colleagues, we’ve learned to cultivate resilience and hopefulness.

Peer support has become a lifeline. WhatsApp groups, informal networks – freelancers are building their own support structures in the absence of institutional support. “Having a network really helps,” wrote a fundraiser. “They’re cheerleaders and sympathisers plus great for insights.”

Some are ‘giving back’ despite the crisis: one CEO has restructured their organisation as a freelance associates network, creating “a home for people” to level out power structures.

And diversification has become essential. This adaptability is our strength – we can bring skills from working across different organisations and roles to many different contexts.

Guide for employers

All of us, of course, have experienced great working relationships with our clients and colleagues as genuine partners. But it’s clear the sector’s relationship with freelance enablers needs reconsideration. Below is a checklist for employers when using freelancers, taken from what they shared with me about best practice and how to make it the norm:

Think freelance first. Do you really need to make that contract PAYE? Could a freelancer provide the outcomes in a more flexible way?

Ask, is this really a freelance contract? Or is it a PAYE model with PAYE level pay and requirements?

Provide clear briefs and realistic timescales

Approach freelancers as early as possible

Pay fairly, and promptly. Consider all the costs that go into freelance day rates, the benefits we bring, and don’t expect to pay PAYE-equivalent day rates