Received from: AUE
The systematic underfunding of the arts, cultural and creative industries over the last decade, combined with cuts to arts subjects in the education sector, and on top of the widespread effects of the pandemic and cost of living crisis are having a devastating impact on the culture sector and arts workers, with disproportionate impacts on those who already face discrimination and barriers in the sector including people from working-class backgrounds, Black people, women and disabled workers.
Despite the creative industries being one of the drivers of UK GDP, artists and arts workers are often self-employed (approximately a third of the workforce) and experience with low pay, precarious work and poor terms and conditions. This causes elitism and inequality in the sector. Artists’ Union England is committed to working with the other creative trade unions and the wider trade union movement to change these working conditions.
Congress agrees to campaign for:
i. an increase in public funding for the arts
ii. access to the arts for all
iii. access to a career in the arts
iv. fair and equal pay for arts and culture workers
v. an end to exploitative working conditions
vi. equal access and rights in the sector.
And work with affiliates to ensure that self-employed workers in the creative industries are properly and fairly paid.
Artists’ Union England