Lyn Gardner laments the financial state of the arts, in which working for low or no pay seems to be the rule, not the exception.
We all know that the biggest subsidisers of the arts are those who work in the arts. Very little work would ever make it to the stage if it was not for people giving their labour away for free, or being paid very poorly for what they do.
As the recent Stage Directors UK report indicated, even those who appear to be sustaining enviable careers are often surviving on fees that would be laughed at in other industries. The I’ll Show You Mine campaign, instigated by Bryony Kimmings, is a reminder that many of those theatre-makers who are admired by emerging artists are in fact only scraping a living themselves.
As one person put it at the recent Devoted and Disgruntled event exploring how to engage with the current Tory government: “It now feels as if you are an emerging artist for ever. It’s hard to see the next rung in the ladder.” While in the distant past, a generation of artists were often able to sign on while they forged early careers, such safety nets have disappeared. Artists increasingly have to support themselves in other ways well into their 30s and beyond. No wonder so many give up... Keep reading on The Guardian
Help us to develop a realistic picture of payment in the arts by completing our anonymous Salary Survey.
We all know that the biggest subsidisers of the arts are those who work in the arts. Very little work would ever make it to the stage if it was not for people giving their labour away for free, or being paid very poorly for what they do.
As the recent Stage Directors UK report indicated, even those who appear to be sustaining enviable careers are often surviving on fees that would be laughed at in other industries. The I’ll Show You Mine campaign, instigated by Bryony Kimmings, is a reminder that many of those theatre-makers who are admired by emerging artists are in fact only scraping a living themselves.
As one person put it at the recent Devoted and Disgruntled event exploring how to engage with the current Tory government: “It now feels as if you are an emerging artist for ever. It’s hard to see the next rung in the ladder.” While in the distant past, a generation of artists were often able to sign on while they forged early careers, such safety nets have disappeared. Artists increasingly have to support themselves in other ways well into their 30s and beyond. No wonder so many give up... Keep reading on The Guardian
Help us to develop a realistic picture of payment in the arts by completing our anonymous Salary Survey.