Our end of project events took place online on 25th and 26th March 2022.
The event included panels, discussions and roundtables, as well as a virtual exhibition showcasing work from the last 2 years. The panel and roundtable themes were all drawn from our research findings and final report.
Some panels are now available on YouTube. Click on the panel names below or see all videos on our YouTube channel.
We’d also like to say a huge thank everyone who contributed to these events, including our amazing speakers and attendees, and our brilliant technical manager Noelia Ruiz.
Below is a text version and PDF of the programme.
Friday 25th March
| Event | Title | Time | Gather Town Space | Speakers |
| Introduction | Introduction and overview of the Freelancers in the Dark research findings and report | 10.00 – 11.00 | Open Air Theatre | Dr Josh Edelman and the Freelancers in the Dark Team |
| Panel | Connecting through COVID: Freelancer-led support networks | 11.15 – 12.15 | Studio | Chair: Dr Ali FitzGibbon Speakers: Fox Irving Nicky Harley Emma Spearing |
| Panel | Creative Changing in Uncertain Time: Theatrical Innovation in the Pandemic | 11.15 – 12.15 | Mezzanine | Chair: Professor Rosie Klich Speakers: Kelly Jones, Dylan Frankland, Rosemary Jenkinson |
| Panel | Doing the Impossible: Strategies towards Productive Working Conditions Post-COVID | 14.00 – 15.00 | Studio | Chair: Dr Josh Edelman Speakers: Stephen Beggs, Harold Finley, Jake Murray |
| Panel | Saying No: Self Empowerment and Self Care amongst Freelancers in the Pandemic | 14.00 – 15.00 | Mezzanine | Chair: Dr Holly Maples Speakers: Phoebe Rhodes, Isabel Dixon, Harry Harrington |
| Panel | ‘We have more power than we think’: Creative Industry Lobbying Power and the Government | 14.00 – 15.00 | Wings | Chair: Dr Ali FitzGibbon Speakers: Laura Mackenzie-Stuart, Steffan Donnelly, Fionnuala Kennedy, Trevor MacFarlane |
| Roundtable | Barriers to change and the new normal | 16.00 – 17.00 | Open Air Theatre | Chair: Dr Kurt Taroff Speakers: Kenya Sterling, Byron Mondahl, Laura Trevail, Clarissa Widya |
Saturday 26th March
| Event | Title | Time | Gather Town Space | Speakers |
| Panel | What Does Diversity in the Industry Really Mean?: Access and Inclusion and Thinking beyond Tokenism | 13.00 – 14.00 | Studio | Chair: Dr Holly Maples Speakers: Kaite O’Reilly, Lucy Sheen, Peyvand Sadeghian, Richard Foxton |
| Panel | Can I have a life and a career?: Parenting, Caring, and the Theatre Industry | 13.00 – 14.00 | Mezzanine | Chair: Dr Josh Edelman Speakers: Matthew Wade, Julie Tsang, Cat Robey |
| Panel | Finding a Common Language: Bridging the gap between Freelancers and Cultural Institutions and Barriers to Change | 15.15 – 16.15 | Studio | Chair: Dr Kurt Taroff Speakers: Graham Main, Katherina Radeva, Tomek Borkowy |
| Panel | Freelancers in the Light: Activism and Advocacy in the time of COVID-19 | 15.15 – 16.15 | Mezzanine | Chair: Dr James Rowson Speakers: Rachel Pedley, Tigger Blaize, Emily Tucker, Leo Wan |
| Roundtable | Better practices and how to fight for a radical future | 16.30 – 17.30 | Open Air Theatre | Chair: Dr James Rowson Speakers: Faynia Williams, Kaya La Bonte-Hurst, Rebecca Morden, Mick Gordon |
The House Never Wins
As part of our end of project events there was a virtual performance of Kill the Cat Theatre’s The House Never Wins on Saturday 26th March 2022 at 7pm.
Freelancers in the Dark 