8 March 2021

March for the Arts are pleased to announce the appointment of the Freelance Working Agreement Committee members. The committee will begin its work this week; building a document to radically change the way people from a range of creative sectors in Liverpool City Region work together. We're pleased to continue our support of March for the Arts as they start this major project to develop an agreement for those working in the creative industries.

Alongside Everyman & Playhouse theatres, members include freelancers and organisations with a range of experience and expertise in their own creative fields: Thom Isom, Lisa Buckby, Adiam Solomon, Tom Glynn, Curtis Watt, Tessa Buddle, Collective Encounters, The Studio, Luma Creations, Homotopia, Ugly Bucket and Grace Goulding will chair the committee and facilitate discussion and decision making.

Francesca Peschier, New Works Associate at Everyman & Playhouse says "The Everyman & Playhouse are proud to be supporting March for the Arts Freelance Working Agreement through the freelancer fund [and by providing an organisation representative to sit on the Freelance Working Agreement Committee] ...We believe that empowering freelancers with the means to lead this important work. We are excited for the committees' findings and outcomes, including the Freelance Working Agreement which we believe to be a significant step towards fairer conditions in our industry."

Caitlin Clough, theatre maker, performer and member of the March for the Arts team says: ‘Everyone deserves, and does better in, a healthy working environment. We need to provide that for short term staff as well as long term, particularly when the creative industry relies so heavily on freelance workers.

Our community is desperate to have this conversation, to have some standards set out for the way they work. People’s first reaction has been: “why doesn’t this already exist?” Then they tell us: “we need this, now more than ever.”

We hope, in a few months, art sector workers will have free access to a document full of vital information that will help them stand up for themselves and improve their own work, and organisations will be able to use the agreement as a mark of excellence that a freelancer can instantly recognise.’

The Freelance Working Agreement will be ambitious but flexible, so that it can be used and signed up to by everyone from individual workers to large scale organisations. It will outline best working practice and standards on hiring, contracts, support, communication, diversity and accessibility. This project, developed by the small arts collective March for the Arts and funded by Arts Council England, also includes the creation of a free to use cross sector directory for the profiles of professionals in the city region, and aims to ensure that the industry moves away from inconsistent standards, bad practices and unstable working conditions rife before the pandemic. 

Over the 11 week committee process, March for the Arts will be talking to the creative industries community in Liverpool City Region in order to inform the committee’s discussions.

The public can contribute via a suggestion box, drop in sessions, meetings, call outs and seminars, as well as a public consultation on the first draft of the Freelance Working Agreement in May.

The first drop in session will be held via Zoom on Tuesday 9th March, 6:30-7:30pm. Members of the public can join the meeting at any point during this time to have their voice heard on any subject relevant to freelance work in the arts. The public are also invited to join weekly specialised meetings. More information about the weekly Zoom drop-ins and discussions can be found here www.marchforthearts.com/fwa.