February 16, 2023
Members Newsletter February 2023
Here's our February Newsletter from your Artists Union; with information about new campaigns to get involved...
January 20, 2023 1:27 PM
Members Newsletter January 2023
Happy New Year! We hope you have had a good start to the year and are managing to stay warm and healthy in this colder weather and these difficult and unprecedented financial times.
Here's our latest newsletter for SAU members; with information about new Learning Events, and links to Practical Support for our Members, and other relevant information.
It's that time of year again when many people are struggling to get their accounts in order for the Self Assessment Tax Return Deadline at the end of January.
With this in mind, we have created a new page in the Members Learning resources on our website and added the tax return recordings from last year (members will need to be signed in to access this page). We hope this might help!
CHECK OUT OUR NEW MEMBERS RESOURCES PAGE here:
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.
Art, Work & Power 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, Wed 8th, Thur 9th, Wed 15th, Thur 16th & Sat 18th of February
- Art, Work & Power: Ayr (In Real Life not online)
11am-5pm, Saturday 25th February
Art & Social Practice - new online course!
Social Practice encompasses many different terms – often called Socially Engaged Art, Participatory Practice or sometimes Community Arts – but it describes art that is collaborative, participatory and involves people and communities in debate, collaboration or social interaction.
Artists are increasingly working in participatory settings, and this introductory course aims to give you an overview of the key issues which arise within social practice. Covering topic like co-creation, working with young people, the ethics of collaborating with communities, safeguarding your own mental health and exploring what failure within a socially engaged project might look like.
Over 4 online sessions invited speakers will share their research and working practices, starting with Nicola Naismith’s Practising Well session on Tuesday 14th February from 11am -12:15. Sign up now as we will be announcing more speakers very soon!
This course is funded by Scottish Union Learning and we need you to complete these two forms (below) in advance - please note you need to input the course name 'Art & Social Practice' and the reference number H170.
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 monthly, starting on Thursday 2nd February from 11-12noon, (if the demand is high we will add more slots so do add your name to the waiting list). You can select a 15 minutes slot hosted via Zoom here:
LGBTQ+ History Month "Claiming our past – Celebrating our present – Creating our future"
This year for LGBTQ+ History Month, SAU will be hosting an online Intersect Discussion reflecting upon our own part in making LGBTQ+ History in our trade union, and in Scotland.
2022 was a significant year for SAU in terms of LGBTQ+ member participation - it was the first time SAU took part in LGBTQ+ History Month Scotland, we sent our first ever delegate to the STUC LGBTQ+ Conference, we marched in a Pride Parade for the first time (Pride Glasgow), and SAU marched in, and took part in, the first ever Pride In Moray, which made history in the North of Scotland.
Join us on Zoom on Wednesday 15th February from 5- 6pm to take part in a reflective discussion and hear about what we have been up to. *This Intersect Discussion is also open to non-members.
After registering with Zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
SAU Climate & Sustainability Sub Group
The next meeting of the C & S Sub Group will be online on Zoom, on Wednesday 8th February 5-6pm. All Welcome! Please contact [email protected] for a Zoom link, or to be added to our mailing list.
Have You Been Affected by Brexit?
We have been approached by a journalist from The National intending to write an article about the effects on the creative community post Brexit.
"I am looking to hear from arts organisations, bands, singers, artists, actors and many other people in Scottish culture to talk about their experience of Brexit and how it has impacted them. We've heard from bands struggling to do EU tours, community theatres losing out on funding and other issues with groups trying to break into Europe. If you are able to help at all or know of someone who would be willing to have a chat then please get back in touch".
Please contact [email protected]
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.
SAU's Executive Committee needs you!
Are you good at listening & writing? Or, are you experienced in taking minutes at meetings?
We are looking for a member to fill the position of Minutes Secretary, and another member to be an alternate for back up. This volunteer's role is to record the minutes at the monthly Executive Committee meetings, AGMs, and the occasional EGM.
If this is something that you might be interested in getting involved in, please contact us at [email protected]. THANKS!!
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.
Updated Documents
N.B. 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!)
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).
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 new "I'm a Member Sticker".
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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