Author Archives: freelancersinthedark

Trigger Warning: Mentions sexual violence As part of our research, we have looked at the impact of various intersecting categories including class, race and gender on the experiences of freelancers. In this blog post, we discuss some of the themes that came up in relation to gender, and some ways to move towards greater genderContinue reading “‘We have far more power than we realise’: Challenging gender inequality in the theatre industry”

Across the six micro commission sites, groups of freelancers responded to various prompts, drawing on themes that had come through strongly in our previous research, including the interviews and focus groups. Two of these prompts were Identity and Giving Voice, explored by groups in Plymouth and Newcastle upon Tyne. As researchers, we were interested inContinue reading “Identity and Giving Voice”

Creative Micro Commissions

How did theatre freelancers’ locations affect their experiences of the pandemic? How might the geography of theatre-making in the UK—by which we mean the physical location, distribution, and activity across the four nations—have been changed by events since March 2020? In order to address these questions, we have turned to our 397 survey respondents. AnalyzingContinue reading “Theatre Freelancers’ Pandemic Geographies”

This blog is written by Jacob Rayner Blair and is based on research completed as part of a placement on the project Freelancers in the Dark, facilitated by Manchester Metropolitan University. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a rise in British news reports concerning freelance theatre workers. Since 1st January 2020Continue reading “On the media coverage of theatre freelancers during COVID-19”

Since the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 we have witnessed unprecedented upheavals in our social and cultural lives. Policy has been announced and changed. Governments have U-turned. Lockdowns have been imposed and lifted. We have all tried to keep up with changing social restrictions. It’s been difficult to keep track of events.Continue reading “Launching: Crowdsourced Timeline of COVID-19 and Theatres”

We are delighted today to be publishing our first report, The Future from Here: Theatre Freelancers and Planning for the Future During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The report details the emerging findings from our survey of theatre freelancers which ran from November 2020 until March 2021, and we would like to say a huge “thank you”Continue reading “Interim Report #1: The Future from Here”

We are pleased to be launching our survey, an important tool with which to understand the effect of the COVID19 pandemic on freelance theatre workers across the UK. We hope to reach workers in a variety of roles, across all stages of their careers, and to represent the full diversity of people and skills thatContinue reading “Launching the Freelancers Survey”

COVID-19 has been devastating for many industries including the performing arts. The closures of theatres and outlawing of public gatherings have proven financially devastating to the theatre industry across the United Kingdom and, indeed, the world. The pandemic has sparked a wide range of industry-led strategies designed to alleviate financial consequences and improve audience captureContinue reading “Introduction to the Project from Holly Maples”

The images on this website have kindly been provided by Nina Dunn, and are all part of The Dark Theatres Project. Nina is an award-winning video designer who has worked extensively in theatres across the UK and internationally. She began to document London’s dark theatres after they suddenly closed as lockdown in began in theContinue reading “Nina Dunn: The Dark Theatres Project”