About the report
Forging Freelance Futures is Creative UK’s comprehensive report into the freelance economy of the cultural and creative industries. Based on a survey of 1272 freelancers and 221 organisations, as well as a series of regional focus groups, this report seeks to demonstrate the challenges and opportunities faced by those working within the freelance economy.
Freelancing is the very backbone of the creative sector – with almost 30% of the workforce operating on a freelance basis. Despite this, freelancers face significant barriers that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its longstanding repercussions.
The report not only sheds light on the specific structural challenges faced by freelancers but also sets out a proposal to combat these challenges. The key policy recommendations outlined in the report include the appointment of a Freelance Commissioner, curriculum revision, sick pay provision, parental leave extension and payment protection.
Creative Economy Capital
Also launched recently, Creative UK has published a provocation for a new investment framework: Creative Economy Capital. This is designed to better align commercial capital, social impact finance and philanthropic investment – ensuring that creative enterprises can access the right investment at the right time. Designed to address the issues highlighted in today’s report, Creative Economy Capital would channel investment into intermediaries, tailored to the distinct needs ofcreative organisations at various stages of growth, with public capital providing guarantees and first-loss investment to de-risk private contributions.