A freelance champion
👀 UK Government’s £380m Creative Industries Sector Plan [#195]
Hurrah – the long-awaited creative industries sector plan was published by the Government this week as part of the industrial strategy. It includes, along with an additional £380m invested in the creative industries over the next 10 years—several other benefits for creators and the sector.
I just finished reading it and am feeling quite chuffed. It’s exciting! Good to see they’re listening to the recommendations from trade bods. I love the vision for 2035 – to ensure the UK is the number one destination worldwide for investment in creativity and innovation, aiming to increase investment significantly.
Well worth a read (80 pages) – I’ve pulled out some bits relevant to freelancers and the self-employed:
Good stuff. Industry bodies have been responding – ALCS, Creative UK, Bectu, Freelancing Support, Writers’ Guild.
💡 What should the freelance champion be fixing? What are you struggling with right now? Let me know and I’ll pass it on.
Off the top of my head:
Stagnant freelance rates that don’t keep pace with the cost of living
Licensing & AI (they haven’t implementing an amendment requiring AI companies to disclose use of copyrighted works in training)
Upskilling & affordable training – memberships and conferences are expensive
Tax & benefits – UC monthly minimum income floor doesn’t fit the reality of self-employment, i.e. look at it over a longer period
Grants for creators in the UK – I mostly see US stuff
Help navigating the wild west of creator journalism & brand partnerships – what to charge, what are people being paid? (my focus this year)
🔗 Link About It
On my radar this week…
Announcing… the Women in Journalism x Sophiana Fellowship – “We’re looking for women and non-binary journalists who want to upskill in online video this year and use TikTok & Instagram to curb misinformation and amplify their reporting.” [Read]
See how Isabelle Roughol used the app to make this LinkedIn post about Substack.
Substack is quietly fundraising on the back of exploding usage of its mobile app and a reignited enthusiasm for new political newsletters, thanks to Trump, via Eric Newcomer [Read]
The Great Rebundling – with Peter Kafka & Brian Morrissey | Semafor. On the future of media bundles and whether Substack’s biz model is sustainable. “Substack is a Ponzi scheme to some degree.” Oof. “Inevitably, they’ll have to bundle.” [Listen]
Yale is teaching a course for Substack writers. Writing for the Web (by Sophie Haigney, web editor @ Paris Review) covers pitching, self-editing, and writing for the Internet, via Emily Sundberg [Read]
Enjoy Glasto! ✨
Nika