Dr Jessica Walker reviews institutional and political responses to the plight of freelance artists, and highlights the actions artists have taken in the face of ongoing uncertainty.
On the 6th May, a piece I wrote about the fate of the live arts, in view of the current crisis, was published in Arts Professional. In it, I suggested that the light shone on the financial insecurity of life as a freelance musician, (an issue long before Covid), could provide the impetus for arts organisations to examine their working practices, and to begin to nurture more equitable relationships with independent artists. I also predicted that with all live art at a standstill, it would be the individual artists who would have the flexibility to keep making music in innovative ways, and to reclaim some autonomy in the workplace, bypassing the established organisational gatekeepers. Since writing that piece, a lot has changed; I wanted to look further at the institutional and political responses to the plight of freelance artists, and also to highlight the action artists themselves have taken, in the face of ongoing uncertainty... Keep reading on MAX - Musician and Artist Exchange
On the 6th May, a piece I wrote about the fate of the live arts, in view of the current crisis, was published in Arts Professional. In it, I suggested that the light shone on the financial insecurity of life as a freelance musician, (an issue long before Covid), could provide the impetus for arts organisations to examine their working practices, and to begin to nurture more equitable relationships with independent artists. I also predicted that with all live art at a standstill, it would be the individual artists who would have the flexibility to keep making music in innovative ways, and to reclaim some autonomy in the workplace, bypassing the established organisational gatekeepers. Since writing that piece, a lot has changed; I wanted to look further at the institutional and political responses to the plight of freelance artists, and also to highlight the action artists themselves have taken, in the face of ongoing uncertainty... Keep reading on MAX - Musician and Artist Exchange