Today marks the launch of the Cultural Freelancers Study 2024, conducted by researchers at the University of Essex and commissioned by Arts Council England. The study consists of three parts: a literature review; a survey with over 5,000 respondents, which took place in October 2023; and finally a series of focus groups and interviews with 200 participants.
This is the first time that the Arts Council has commissioned research of this scale into the lives and working conditions of cultural freelancers. The aim was to develop a deeper understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities faced by freelancers across the range of artforms we support. This study provides us with a baseline of data from which we will be able to monitor if and how things change in the sector over time. The study has resulted in a comprehensive report, which is being publishing alongside the literature review, and a dashboard that allows everyone to explore the data themselves.