February 16, 2023
Members Newsletter February 2023
Here's our February Newsletter from your Artists Union; with information about new campaigns to get involved...
February 16, 2023 5:01 PM
Members Newsletter February 2023
Here's our February Newsletter from your Artists Union; with information about new campaigns to get involved in, our Learning Events, and links to Practical Support for our Members, and other relevant information.
Membership Renewals on 1st April
All memberships are due for Renewal on 1st April 2023. If you would like to change the frequency of your payments, e.g. from monthly to annual, please let us know asap - by 10th March 2023 at the latest; we can get this changed over for you in time for the 2023/24 Renewals. Please contact
Fees are currently £72.00 per year - this can be paid as one-off yearly payment each April, or split into monthly instalments of £6.00 per month.
Practical Support for Members 1-to-1s
Do you have questions about calculating what to charge for a project with our rates of pay, need help completing a contract template or advice on artist's insurance?
We are trialing some new 1-to-1 online sessions, with Scottish Artists Union staff to help our members with practical support. Taking place on the first Thursday of every month, with the next sessions on Thursday 2nd March from 11-12 noon. You can select a 20 minutes slot hosted via Zoom, if demand is high we will add more slots so do add your name to the waiting list.
Here's the Eventbite link to book your slot:
There's still time to sign up for the last few sessions of our 'Art, Work & Power' course
This is a course on the conditions art is made under, the politics of work and the forms of power that shape this reality.
Using a radical and liberatory educational model, participants will use their own experience and (embodied) knowledge to understand how power dynamics dictate the conditions of our work and the art that we make. We will then learn how we can build our own, communal, power to restructure those conditions on our own terms.
The course is open to any worker in Scotland and we welcome the participation of those working across all art forms. The course will be particularly useful to people engaged or interested in community and/or labour organising.
The final in person session is a 1 day course and will take place at The People’s Art School in Ayr, and is generously hosted by local artists collective & artisanal bakery Narture.
AWP: Online will be facilitated by art worker, organiser and educator George Lynch and will take place across five two hour sessions. Sign up details below!
- Art, Work & Power: Online via Zoom
7-9pm Thur 16th & Sat 18th of February
- Art, Work & Power: Ayr (In Real Life not online)
11am-5pm, Saturday 25th February
ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT HOW THE PROPOSED CUTS TO THE CREATIVE SCOTLAND BUDGET WILL AFFECT YOU, YOUR PRACTISE OR ORGANISATIONS YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH? THERE'S STILL TIME TO STOP THIS HAPPENING!!
HELP US CAMPAIGN AGAINST THIS DECISION BY GETTING INVOLVED IN THE TWO CAMPAIGNS BELOW; BY SIGNING THE PETITION TO THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, OR BY WRITING TO YOUR POLITICIANS.
- Campaign for the Arts have just launched a public petition calling on the Scottish Government to abandon major cuts to Creative Scotland's budget, and to work with Scotland’s cultural sector to find a sustainable future, ahead of the final vote on the Scottish Budget at Holyrood on Tuesday, 21 February.
The petition contains 3 key asks:
- Reverse the cut to Creative Scotland in the 2023/4 Scottish Budget
- Support Scotland’s artists and cultural organisations now and in the months ahead, to weather the ‘perfect storm’ of economic pressures.
- Work with the cultural sector to build a sustainable future, restoring and growing investment so that the arts can flourish across Scotland.
The petition also contains a useful tool encouraging those signing to contact their MSP on the issue.
Campaign for the Arts is the UK's grassroots alliance for the arts, with over 250,000 supporters nationwide. Their mission is to champion, defend and expand access to the arts and culture, for and with the public.
Cuts in the Cultural Budget -Write to your Politicians, Nationally and Locally
Our friends at SCAN (Scottish Contemporary Art Network) have also initiated a letter writing campaign to MSP's to highlight the difficulties currently being experienced by cultural workers.
You can find out more about this and how to take part HERE
- Here is the SCAN evidence to the Scottish Government CEEAC Committee Culture Funding draft budget scrutiny 2023-2024. Read the PDF at this link
- And here is the video at the Scottish Parliament of SCAN and other arts orgs giving evidence to the CEEAC Committee, on January 12th 2023 - HERE
GET INVOLVED WITH SAU BY COMING ALONG TO OUR NEXT 'Climate & Sustainability Sub Group'
The next meeting of the C & S Sub Group will be online on Zoom, on Wednesday 8th March 5-6pm. All Welcome! Come along and get involved in the discussions on Climate Change and how it is affecting you and your practise. Meet other artists who share similar concerns.
Please contact [email protected] for a Zoom link, or to be added to our mailing list.
ART MATERIALS SWAP - INVERNESS
You are invited to a FREE art materials swap event in collaboration with the Circular Arts Network (CAN) from 11am-3pm on the 18th March @ Wasps Inverness Creative Academy.
Find a link to the Eventbrite Information HERE
Creative Scotland Rates of Pay Guidance Research conducted by Culture Radar and Queen Margaret University
Seeking creative and cultural freelancers and organisations to contribute to Rates of Pay research consultations taking place online between 27 February - 2 March 2023
Culture Radar and Queen Margaret University are undertaking research to enable Creative Scotland to understand, advocate for, and apply Industry Standard Rates of Pay equitably and consistently across its funding programmes. Creative Scotland does not set Rates of Pay, but it does signpost its funding applicants to existing Industry Standards.
To date, the research has looked in detail at common challenges and anomalies across existing Rates of Pay guidance, with some factors emerging which (depending on interpretation by both applicants or funding assessors) may impact the consistent application of Industry Standard Rates of Pay.
The research partners are now seeking sector representatives who have made (or been included in) funding applications to Creative Scotland, and who have experience and knowledge of applying Rates of Pay in a variety of contexts to take part in consultations.
There are five consultation sessions to choose from - all will be held online between 27 February and 2 March. Freelancer and access support to take part is available.
For more information and to register for a session, please use the Eventbrite link: HERE
LGBTQ+ History Month
- Last year, SAU members took part and celebrated in the first Pride In Moray. The LGBTQ+ Pride In Moray group has organised a special exhibition in Elgin Library to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month (until the 3rd of March). The exhibition features "photographs taken by Stuart Linden Rhodes from the gay scene in Northern England during the 1990s and a selection of pride flags from throughout history." Read more about the exhibition HERE
New, low-cost counselling service for people who work in the arts
SAU recognise that some of our members are currently experiencing significant life struggles, which may lead to stress, anxiety, depression or problems with addiction.
In January 2023, an organisation called Wellbeing in the Arts has launched a new low-cost counselling service aimed specifically for people who work in the arts.
Please see this link for more details here.
Merch!! Support Your Union!!
Also don't forget that we have a growing range of SAU merchandise in the form of T-shirts and Totebags available to purchase from our online shop. These make great presents, while helping to promote our union, and all proceeds help us to support artists and makers in Scotland.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: RATES OF PAY INCREASE
Due to the unprecedented levels of inflation we are currently experiencing, we have decided to raise our Recommended Rates Of Pay for Freelance work for the remainder of this tax year, we are therefore applying an average increase of 10% to all our previous hourly rates, compared with the rates for 2021/2022. (Earlier rates for 2022/23 are now in brackets). Usually our rates are increased in time for the new Tax Year at the start of April, so these rates will be increased again at that time, (so watch out for new ROP at the start of April!)
To see these updated rates check out our Webpage HERE, the ROP information is also available as a downloadable PDF HERE.
Here are links to this years Insurance Documents
Here's a link to this year's Insurance Documents, which comes as part of you membership and that you can download when you need them. (We have stopped sending these out as paper documents in order to save on unnecessary paper and postage). N.B. You will need to log in to the website to access these.
Have you checked out our list of Members Discounts? As well as the free Insurance and legal advice that comes with your membership, you can benefit from big savings on art and materials supplies and various other relevant services.
Also: The Edinburgh International Festival have informed us that SAU members qualify for a 30% discount on tickets for Art Workers at this years EIF. Go to their website for more information. Tickets are subject to availability.
Show your solidarity with fellow artists by using our "I'm a Member Sticker".
N.B. You will need to log in to the website to access these.
Have you tried using our 'Fair Work Contract Templates'?
Our 3 FWC Templates can be used for creating or checking contracts for Exhibitions & Projects; Sales & Commissions; Workshops & Events; and are available for our members to download from the Resources section of the website HERE.
Brexit information for creatives working in the Arts in Europe http://ukeartswork.info
Please help us promote the activities of the union on social media by following and sharing posts.
@SCOArtistsUnion | FB: ScottishArtistsUnion | Instagram: artistsunion.scot
Support Your Union!! Together We Are Stronger!!
We are here to help. We are a small team of part time workers, all artists and creatives, and a voluntary executive, currently email is the best way to get in touch.
Stay warm, safe & healthy everyone.
Keep on Keeping on!!
Yours in Solidarity,
Everyone at Scottish Artists Union
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