A programme for people from working-class backgrounds in theatre is exploring new ways to help creative freelancers get paid while navigating the benefits system.
‘Surviving on a Shoestring’ is an initiative from Fair Play, a programme led by the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS).
Fair Play said it will work “in a bespoke way” with organisations to look at how artists are paid.
Caitriona Shoobridge, director and co-creative lead of Fair Play, said: “No one should have the onus placed upon them to declare poverty trauma or financial hardship in order to receive payments in a way that works around Universal Credit and other benefits.
“Instead, organisations need to proactively offer alternative payment structures at the point of contracting.”
The initiative will involve working with organisations to co-create a “tailored finance access rider” to be sent out as part of any welcome pack for every creative freelancer employed over a 12-month period.
Shoobridge explained: “The approach is bespoke, and the rider is developed in partnership with the company to ensure they are not offering something to artists that is unsustainable.”
Complex problem
The relationship between creative freelancing and the benefits system “is a complex problem”, Shoobridge said, adding that “the issues around paying freelancers are manifold and very specific to the individual and their experience within the benefits system”.
She explained that while it has been widely reported that the concept of the ‘minimum income floor’ (MIF) used by the Universal Credit system is pushing freelancers into poverty, it is often the individuals who are blamed for this due to their low or fluctuating income.
She continued: “Surviving on a Shoestring aims to flip this narrative on its head – highlighting that it is the fluctuating and irregular payment systems of our industry combined with the MIF that pushes these freelancers out of creative work and into poverty.
“People from low socio-economic backgrounds are over-represented in the benefits system which means theatre must work to address this as a structural problem in order to increase the number of people from working-class backgrounds working in theatre.”
Leadership bursaries
As part of its mission to increase working-class representation in theatre, Fair Play has also launched a pilot programme that hopes to address the lack of diversity among the sector’s leadership.
The Leadership Pathway Bursaries scheme aims to help people progress into artistic or creative director roles.
Each bursary will initially include four half-day online sessions over a period of three months.
These will look at application processes to leadership roles, covering areas such as job packs, application letters, interviews and the skill set needed for such roles.
There will also be contributions from existing leaders from working-class or low socio-economic backgrounds, who will share their experiences and knowledge.
Former Young Vic artistic director, Kwame Kwei-Armah, is one of five new Fair Play advocates the programme has announced.
He said: “Getting into theatre and staying in it is a challenge for anyone.
“But if you are from a working-class or low socio-economic background it’s like a climbing a mountain with no safety equipment!”
Source: Theatre initiative aims to support freelancers using benefits system – Arts Professional
