Call-out for Freelance Task Force
Freelance artists, choreographers, technicians, producers, designers and many more such roles are crucial for the performance sector to create excellent art experiences for the audience.
The sector is unique in having 70% of its workforce being self-employed. With venues and organisations facing uncertainty due to COVID-19 pandemic, this task force is especially at high risk and in an urgent and acute situation right now.
Akademi is proud to be part of the sector-wide initiative to set up a Freelance Task Force. As part of our commitment to working with freelancers towards a sustainable future, we signed the open letter to theatre and performance makers in the UK today.
Apply by 10 June 2020
The letter outlines the following aims
- To listen and respond to the needs of freelancers in the performing arts
- To call for the Self Employment Income Support Scheme to be extended in line with furloughing and until theatres can reopen in earnest
- To establish a Freelance Task Force of self-employed theatre and performance makers.
Akademi have made a commitment to pay a freelancer for one day a week during the months of June, July and August to join the Freelance Task Force.
What will the taskforce member do?
The Freelance Task Force will establish its own agenda and its course to address these aims. The freelancer will work together with all other members of the Freelance Task Force to:
- co-ordinate wider conversations with freelancers in their area and/or specialism
- hold and participate in regular Freelance Task Force meetings
- attend meetings and events on behalf of the Freelance Task Force
- lobby on behalf of the wider freelance community
- ensure that information is widely distributed
The Freelance Task Force member is not expected to represent Akademi or speak on their behalf, nor are they expected to undertake any other duties on behalf of Akademi during this time or after the placement.
Freelance Task Force members will operate at arm’s length, responsible to the self-employed community that they are part of.
We hope that the Freelance Task Force member will use this opportunity to inform and influence Akademi, and to draw on our support and networks should they need to. How this is achieved will be discussed between the successful candidate and the Akademi team.
Call-out
As an organisation committed to the promotion of South Asian arts and culture we would particularly like to support under-represented South Asian voices.
To qualify, you must have been a freelancer for at least the last two years, with 100% income reliance on freelance work before the pandemic. You must be living and have the right to work in the UK. It is important that you are committed to anti-discriminatory practice in all areas e.g. gender, sex, sexual orientation and race.
We request the taskforce member to keep us regularly informed of the conversations, activities and progress of the taskforce to enable Akademi to advocate further.
Remuneration
Akademi will pay the taskforce member a daily fee of £175 for 13 days work i.e. one day a week from June to August.
Total: £2,275
How to apply?
Please send in your CV to show that you have been working as a freelancer for at least the last two years and a short explanation of no more than 200 words as to why you want to be a part of this initiative.
We acknowledge and apologise for the short notice but we wanted to ensure this coincided with the launch of the task force on Friday 12 June and wanted to ensure we had things in place to support this process. The application must be submitted to: info@akademi.co.uk. Application deadline now extended until Wednesday 10 June 4pm.
All applicants will be notified by the morning of Thursday 11 June.
If you have any questions about the position, please contact us on info@akademi.co.uk