‘We need to be honest about who gets left behind. If you are working class, if you do not have space, equipment or guidance, self-taping puts you at a disadvantage. Those are often the very people we should be trying harder to find. I think it is vital that we continue to see new faces across both screen and stage... If we keep drawing from the same pool, the industry becomes smaller, not bigger. It feels less creative, not more.’

'We have become too reliant on self-tapes. They were meant to help the process, but they are starting to replace it.'

Self-tapes should be a starting point for casting, not the whole process, writes casting director Rob Kelly in @TheStage... www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/self...

Touring is in a critical state – it’s time for a reset, writes Lyn Gardner in this week's @TheStage.

Read more: www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/tour...

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork

“[Freelancers] deserve fair pay, safe workplaces and clear, respectful communication wherever they work." - Naomi Pohl, general secretary of the Musicians’ Union speaking at the launch of the 'Engaging Creative Freelancers: Best Practice Guide.'

Explore the guide here: buff.ly/wfw9UFQ

“Instead of being asked to work for free, I’d like to be asked to work for money. You know, like you would if you were asking a professional accountant, doctor or plumber for professional advice or services,” The quote is credited to visual and performance artist Lady Kitt.

In a survey of disabled arts professionals, Unlimited found 87% had been asked to do something for nothing.

When will the sector stop exploiting disabled creatives and acknowledge their value?

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork #WeAreCreative #Freelancers #Freelancer #Culture #Arts #ArtsAndCulture

"Without the arts, what are we for? Everyone is happier and more enriched emotionally and intellectually when they have access to creative activity and entertainment. A career in the arts should be for anyone." - Freelance Dramaturg and facilitator Emily LeQuesne

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork

We listen to your thoughts, suggestions, & concerns & we’re committed to making sure your voice is heard.
To learn how you can contribute to shaping the future of our industry, visit our website & click on ‘Listen.’
Let’s keep the conversation going. 👉 FreelancersMakeTheatreWork.com

"It is strange that, although over the past decade the creative industries have grown at 1.5 times the rate of the wider economy and contributed billions of pounds of business activity & exports, the profits drain away and the only begetter of the arts is left stranded on overdrafts" -Melvyn Bragg

Cultural sector workers are collectively subsidising their own sector by ~£7 billion a year & that's probably an underestimate.

'Cultural sector workers are collectively subsidising their own sector by ~£7 billion a year & that's probably an underestimate.' David Reece - Chief Strategy Officer at Baker Richards | Data-Empowered Strategy for the Cultural Sector explains why... buff.ly/vhqPqEz

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork

Late payment keeps too many freelancers stuck in an unfair cycle. So this move towards stronger enforcement, tighter payment terms and real penalties for repeat offenders is welcome. We hope it leads to meaningful change.

Read more here: www.ipse.co.uk/articles/gov...

#Freelancers #LatePayment

There is an exodus of freelance theatre professionals – particularly in areas like stage management and wardrobe. To address this, Actors’ Trust has expanded its support services, as CEO Alison Wyman explains: www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/fea...

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork

“Financial barriers exclude those from historically minoritised communities from accessing roles and progressing in the creative industries.” - Creative Access

The number of people from backgrounds underrepresented in the creative industries that don't apply for jobs because of financial constraints is increasing.

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork #WeAreCreative #Freelancers #Freelancer #Culture #Arts #ArtsAndCulture

'Dance has been positioned as the art form that needs saving... Yet across every rehearsal studio and theatre stage, what we actually see is aspiration – from an industry rich in ideas, discipline and excellence.' - Jamiel Devernay-Laurence

Full article: www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/its-...

‘We need to be honest about who gets left behind. If you are working class, if you do not have space, equipment or guidance, self-taping puts you at a disadvantage. Those are often the very people we should be trying harder to find. I think it is vital that we continue to see new faces across both screen and stage... If we keep drawing from the same pool, the industry becomes smaller, not bigger. It feels less creative, not more.’

'We have become too reliant on self-tapes. They were meant to help the process, but they are starting to replace it.'

Self-tapes should be a starting point for casting, not the whole process, writes casting director Rob Kelly in @TheStage... www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/self...

The UK dance sector is facing a quiet crisis. While conversations around diversity and inclusion have gained visibility, meaningful investment in high-quality training for Diaspora dance forms remains dangerously thin.

Pawlet Brookes, chief executive and artistic director of Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage in Leicester says that 'The UK dance sector is facing a quiet crisis.'

Read her brilliant piece in The Stage here: www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/dias...

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork #DanceUK

"All future artists, actors, directors, writers are sitting in school right now. Find them. And make sure drama, music and the arts are funded, supported and celebrated in every school in the land." -Russell T Davies, screenwriter.

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork #WeAreCreative #ArtsAndCulture

"You know, it breaks my heart that the importance of the arts really isn't seen. The current powers that be are only intent on making sure that people do maths and science right up until their A-levels, which is actually ridiculous, because people's minds just don't work that way." - The quote is credited to Actor, Jenny Seagrove.

"You know, it breaks my heart that the importance of the arts really isn't seen. The current powers that be are only intent on making sure that people do maths and science right up until their A-levels, which is actually ridiculous, because people's minds just don't work that way." - Jenny Seagrove.

We've gathered links to free wellbeing initiatives, affordable counselling services, helpful video resources, and organisations offering various support options, including peer-to-peer schemes, all specifically for arts freelancers.

👉 freelancersmaketheatrework.com/support/#wel...

'If agents want to continue playing a meaningful role in the creative industries, we need to start questioning assumptions that have gone largely unchallenged for decades.' - Agent Mildred Yuan in @TheStage.

www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/agen...

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork #TheArts #UKArts

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork runs on volunteer power, but we still have essential costs-web hosting, Zoom, and part-time freelance coordinators. Every contribution helps us support the freelance theatre community. 💛

Find out how to help: freelancersmaketheatrework.com/supportfmtw/

A new report called 'The Motherhood Penalty,' highlights sudden shifts in work schedules, inadequate wages, and implicit biases against parents are causing the UK's performing arts sector to fall behind in providing proper support for them.

Full report here: womeninthearts.uk/the-motherho...

There’s less visible advocacy around inclusion in the sector - but the need for it hasn’t gone away.

The need for visible advocacy on inclusion has not gone away. Research from the Creative Industries PEC shows disabled people from working-class backgrounds are 2.7 times less likely to work in the sector, while people from ethnic minority and working-class backgrounds face starkly lower odds too.

Welsh sector makes 'notable' progress on workforce diversity - Arts Professional Workforce diversity has generally improved across organisations regularly-funded by the Arts Council of Wales (ACW), though disabled under-representation

Welsh sector makes ‘notable’ progress on workforce diversity.
However, findings from the Arts Council of Wales’s report reveal D/deaf & disabled people may not be experiencing the same level of progress within regularly-funded organisations.

Via ArtsPro: www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/welsh-s...

Want to know about the latest industry news affecting you?

Head to the ‘In the News’ section on the #FreelancersMakeTheatreWork website!

We share daily updates with stories & insights that matter to arts freelancers.

🔗 freelancersmaketheatrework.com/in-the-news/

#Theatre #UKTheatre #UKArts

On Friday 8th May 2026, the PMF will be holding their major annual forum at the Sherman Theatre Cardiff & online

This all day forum is for anyone interested in learning and discussing more about making inclusive and accessible theatre.

www.productionmanagersforum.org/news/behind-...

Want the facts? Our Climate Studies section brings together research, reports, and evidence that shows why the arts must act - and what’s already being done.
Get informed. Get inspired.
🔗 freelancersmaketheatrework.com/climatecrisis/climatestudies
#ClimateResearch #ArtsAndClimate

We advocate hard for our industry but we're not the only ones. Take a look at some of these amazing organisations doing fantastic work for inclusivity, diversity, fair pay and so much more... freelancersmaketheatrework.com/advocating-b...

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork

Downtime helps artists look up and see the path we have chosen. - Stephanie Street (actor, writer and co-founder of Act for Change) in The Stage.

www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/down...

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork #Theatre #UKTheatre #UKArts #SaveTheArts #ArtsAccess

"affordability is a huge factor in breaking into the industry. Unless you're being supported by family or some independent funding there’s absolutely no way you’d go into a creative industry career now. It’s really, really dire.” - The quote is credited to Reema Selhi,

Late payment keeps too many freelancers stuck in an unfair cycle. So this move towards stronger enforcement, tighter payment terms and real penalties for repeat offenders is welcome. We hope it leads to meaningful change.

Read more here: www.ipse.co.uk/articles/gov...

#Freelancers #LatePayment

DCMS National online survey of UK rightsholders DCMS National online survey of UK rightsholders

A consortium of Frontier Economics, BOP Consulting and CREATe at the University of Glasgow has been commissioned by DCMS to undertake research to assess UK demand for and supply of cultural and creative content for AI use.

Have your say here:

bop.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...