In other counties such as Germany there is more support for artists. In France, there's a three year programme to support young artists. Because of changes in the benefit system in the UK over the last 30 years, it's much harder to survive.
Sometimes we question whether we deserve to be subsidised, more than, say, a waitress - do I deserve it?
Easy to be jealous and angry about rich and successful actors. There's plenty of buzz about all the big arts prizes, but much more support is needed at grass roots level.
We want to do what we love, but society only equates value with financial value. Inversely, the less cultural value a job has the more it is rewarded financially.
Artists just want to make a livable wage, but we are outside 'The system'.
Is there a difference between 'normal' people and a self-employed freelancer. If you're another kind of worker (eg: joiner) you can control your prices more. Is there any 'choice' to being freelance though, or is that imposed upon us. The choice between good mental health and following your vocation.
Is it a job (where one has parity with people in a similar situation), or artistic expression? In the commercial world you should be treated like a 'normal' person. A designer for instance is a practical Jon, but to an artist it's life and death.
How much money the government gives us shows how much they value us. Some art (soap operas) supports the state apparatus, other art (theatre) questions it. Access to other art forms (museums, art galleries) is better, freer, but less so for theatre.
STEM is what's valuable, and well paid, the arts not valued. Eton has a massive theatre, yet a whole county can lose its entire arts budget.
Handling during COVID very indicative. SEISS grants for sombunall. Fuck the artists, says the government, unless they earnt a lot. But ARTISTS HELP PEOPLE SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY! That's why the government doesn't like 'em.
It's hard at the moment to survive. We need to support each other. Chats in the bar after the show. We find our community through events like D&D.
There is a growing gap between freelance artists and those on a living wage INSIDE THEATRE BUILDINGS. Too many barriers between artists and those running a theatre. Inside, the AD is below a CEO; sometimes there's a patronising attitude towards the artists. Should the roles be divided? An AD provides all kinds of skills.
Community helps bring us together. All stories are value exploration machines - choices reveal values.
PENSIONS - lack of. Means the struggle continues through all our lives. Also no clear career path; but this can be mitigated by passing on skills and being proud of our achievements. Congratulate and praise each other - champion the stories of others.
It's easy to get silo'd during work, and paranoid. Pride comes from staying in the present (pride of Regina's work at D&D - Phelim). Pride is in the details.
Counterculture is becoming a culture again - the petri dish was wiped clean at COVID but is now rebuilding from the ground up. A community of latent insanity.
Find ways of celebrating the experiments, not killing new initiatives in the bud. Say things out loud.
We need more hubs for artists, a grassroots movement, including D&D. To nurture each other and return to the land (eg: Volcano's centre). It's absolutely necessary - we're thirsty people.