Freelancers working with Companies & Companies working with Freelancers Who attended the session: (apologise for mis-spellings / wrong names / missed folk)Mike Kenny – freelance playwrightTanith MackenzieWill Edwards – Freelance stage managerNathan Jackson – Wildworks – both freelance and employed by an NPOSaskia Baylis (not freelancer but volunteer with OPENHIRE [email protected]Cens (?) Jones – casting & young company manager BYMTHaddon KimeBeth Punnett – coordinator at Shakespeare Schools FoundationKylie Perry – The Paper BirdsHenrietta Duckworth – freelance producer – [email protected][email protected]Summary of Discussion:Moans / frustrations / challenges :FL are often very experienced and knowledgeable – a frustration in not being heard or allowed ‘at the table’ and a sense of infantizing. Discussed the changing & changed landscape of industry and the impact on freelancers.An industry that is squeezed in all directions – venues struggling, companies struggling, FL struggling.Lack of communication between companies and venues with freelancersSometime lack of recognition of the freelance community and collaborators from companies and venues.Freelancers typically under-valued – recognised that this is a systematic problem resulting from lack of funding generallyLack of ‘union’ and industry standards resulting in low pay and sense of ‘if I don’t do it with those conditions, someone else will’Lack of lead-in times for preparation – also the transient nature of the work people coming and going leads to less community building.A lonely place – FL lacking sense of space and place that is more permanent – venues could be this more.What can companies do to value and help freelancers that isn’t just about money & pay?- flexibility – understanding that FL are often pulled in many directions (other jobs, care responsibilities etc.)- inclusion in, invitations to, events etc. including when they are no longer working on that project / in the building. Venues building, maintaining and honouring their freelance community- more transparency from venues – budgets etc.- more conversations with freelancers.- a lack of communication or mis-communication is the source of a fair amount of frustration. Having frank conversations from venues, companies and FL would be good.- more communication and awareness from companies and venues to the FL community – e.g. marketing team meeting the creatives, technical team being introduced. Always credit your people!!- use the knowledge of your freelancers – be more open to them and receive from them. Use them as a resource.- pay fairly and on time and if there are financial struggles then Talk to your FL – working with them to find workable solutions.Recommendations for actions- More transparency from companies and venues – to FL.Be open, celebrate, understand.- More & better conversations and communication between companies & FL. Use FL as a resource – work through some challenges together. If there are issues (e.g. budgets are tight) then discuss with FL – FL will understand and find a workable way to figure it out.- FL forming stronger communities and collectively fighting for better rates of pay – being rigorous in saying no where necessary. - Companies & Venues must recognise and credit their artists – always! A little bit of recognition and appreciation goes a long way.- FL learning from more commercial models – setting higher rates of pay for e.g. - Forming better FL connections – challenge and develop bodies that hold FL – unions for e.g.