‘What do you do all day?’ Freelancer Research - University of Warwick & Culture Central Partnership

Dr Anthony Ruck - Deputy CEO - Strategy & Policy

Back in early 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, Culture Central tried something new, the West Midlands Cultural Response Unit (WMCRU). WMCRU was an action-orientated, sector led response to the Covid-19 crisis, intended to ensure the visibility, viability and recovery of the Cultural Sector in the West Midlands, and was led by and for the whole cultural ecology of the region. WMCRU became a space to share knowledge, practice, new ways of working and advocacy for all those involved in Culture. Crucial to its structure was that ‘everyone was invited’ and organisations of all sizes, artists, and freelancers were all part of the collective.

Since this time, the importance and role of freelancers in the cultural sector has become more visible, although they are often a hidden part of the picture that make up a significant proportion of the workforce. Building on the work of WMCRU, we’ve also been working to develop and support cultural sector freelancers working in the region, taking part in a Creative Industries workshop, hosted jointly by The University of Warwick and TUC Midlands and later through the Birmingham 2022 Festival sector development programme with a series of freelancer networks and freelancer development programme, targeted at those traditionally excluded from careers in the cultural sector.

We know that there is a lot of excellent support out there for freelancers at the moment like people make it work’s ‘Freelance Futures’, as well as lots of great research like ‘Mind the Understanding Gap’ by Creative United, but we wanted to understand more about the actual day to day experiences of freelancers working in the West Midlands, and we’ve partnered with the Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies at the University of Warwick to ask freelancers ‘What do you do all day’?

We know that freelance work can be precarious, underpaid, and sits alongside other work and caring responsibilities; as well as being a space of flexibility and creativity for many. We put a call out for six freelancers to understand more about how creative freelancers spend their time, and how the working day blurs between creative and ‘uncreative’, between ‘productive’ and ‘unproductive’ time. Our aim is to make the lived experience of creative workers more visible to funders, policymakers and other stakeholders and to understand more about freelancers in the West Midlands ahead of a workforce audit and ten year strategy that we are currently working on.

Out of 140 freelancers that applied, we have chosen six who represent a broad mix of people that work in culture in the region. Each freelancer is paid to capture photographs and video clips of their working day, to fill in a simple daily time sheet, and to be interviewed by a member of the research team. After this they’ll be coming together with the research team to anaylse the findings and themes that emerge from their experiences. We’ll explore how they spend their time, the pressures of maintaining a creative practice and earning, and the emotional experience of creative work. You can find out more about the freelancers we are working with below:

Czafari

Czafari. a.k.a Czarena is an alternative R&B singer-songwriter and DJ from Tipton, West Midlands. Czarena began to release music at just 17 years old in 2016 and since then she has had the opportunity to perform around the UK. She has also had radio plays on BBC Radio 1xtra and BBC introducing West Midlands.

www.czafarimusic.com

Corinne (They/Them)

I'm a disabled queer self-portrait artist producing photographic depictions from the same 2 by 1.5 metre space; my bed. This year marks my fifth year of spending almost every day confined here. My self-portraits are a form of therapy to ease my ongoing struggles with mental illness. My work often focuses on 'Daisyland' a queer utopia, me and my only childhood and imaginary friend named Daisy created.

www.instagram.com/corinnesdiary/

Louise Stokes

I’m an actor, writer, singer/songwriter, comedian, work shopper/facilitator and counsellor. (And I paint a bit!) I write plays, poetry, short stories and novels. Some of my poetry, plays, short stories and the novels are published. I perform my own original songs under the name  ‘If The Dress Don’t Fit’.

www.loudeemy.co.uk

Amy Dalton-Hardy

Amy has a 17 year track record of senior roles in the arts, and now works on a full-time freelance portfolio of consultancy, producing, mentoring & development projects, based in Warwick but spanning the UK. Amy’s artistic specialism is in dance but she also specialises in outdoor arts, festivals, participation & community engagement. Amy has specific expertise in fundraising & business development; regularly working 1 to 1 with artists, companies & organisations securing over £1.25m in ACE funding since going freelance in 2020. Amy is currently Executive Producer/Director with a range of freelance clients, including Propel Dance - the UK's first professional all wheelchair touring dance company based in Birmingham. 

www.amydaltonhardy.co.uk

Adam Hussain

I design and make handmade kiln-formed glass artworks and installations for a variety of different markets, from my studio in Coventry. Exhibiting and selling my bespoke art glass through galleries, exhibitions, online platforms, craft events and from my website shop.

I also create work for private, corporate and public commissions.

www.ahcontemporaryglass.co.uk

Stephen Rubacki

I am an art technician based in the midlands, I work mostly in art gallery or museum settings with a team of other freelance technicians. Occasionally I will take on other work such as fabrications for galleries or hanging artwork for private collectors.

This research is led by the Centre for Cultural and Media Policy studies at the University of Warwick and supported as part of Warwick's Productivity and Futures of Work Global Research Priority.