Mayor Of London Joins UK’s Creative Network To Better Support Freelancers

When the pandemic hit two years ago, job-seekers around the world found themselves stranded, with no opportunities in sight. Some of the most hard-hit workers were creatives, who saw up to 60% of freelancers lose all their work during the time period. 

More so than in other sectors, the creative freelance industry bore the brunt of the economic fallout, and to make matters worse, at least 200,000 self-employed workers in the UK were excluded from receiving government support. 

This has happened despite the creative industry’s sustained growth over the years, having expanded by 35%—three times the national average—to over two million jobs since 2011.

To address this issue, the Mayor of London’s Culture Team has teamed up with Creative UK to tackle these systemic inequalities, in a bid to bolster the creative industry and encourage under-represented freelancers to continue to take on roles within the sector.

With its aim to create a “more sustainable future” for the growing workforce, the project is inviting freelancers and organizations across all facets of life—including the performing arts, music, visual arts, fashion, design, and screen—to join a free, online event to discuss, prioritize, and develop ideas for a more sustainable employment model.

“We intend to use this event to workshop recommendations, prioritize key actions, to help build momentum and agree next steps for positive and impactful change,” the initiative said in a statement.

The most promising ideas from the discussion will be used to create a Redesigning Freelancing program, which will produce an industry-led proposition that commits employers to radical new solutions and create a freelancing framework for the creative industry.

Additionally, the program hopes to invoke systematic change by advocating for better practices in the workplace, developing policy recommendations for freelance work, and earmarking resources for both freelancers and employers.

Head here to sign up for the webinar, which will take place on July 11, 2022.

[via The Drum and Creative UK, cover image via Victor Torres | Dreamstime.com]