And more than a third will now seek work outside the arts
A new study from the Museum Freelance Network has laid bare the ‘devastating impact’ on the income and health of freelance museum workers in the UK, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report draws on November data from freelance workers in museums, galleries and other arts and heritage institutions across the UK.
78 percent reported a drop in income from March to October 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. More than half had projects and contracts cancelled or postponed.
53 percent said they were ineligible for the government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. And 37 percent said that they would now seek work outside of the arts sector in the next six months.
‘I feel utterly abandoned and unsupported by the museums where I freelance,’ one respondent said. ‘Organisations I have worked with for over 15 years have no responsibilities or obligations to support our welfare and well-being. It’s not [a space where] a working class person can afford to stay in,’ said another.
Respondents described a detrimental effect on their mental health, with the drying-up of contracts and increased competition for roles in the sector.
The report can be found here.
