As the Government looks to appoint a new Freelance Champion for the creative industries we delve into the findings of the latest State of the Nations report from Creative PEC on Arts, Culture and Heritage workforce.

Dr Mark Taylor will unveil the findings and plot the freelancer journey in the creative industries. A panel of guests including Yasmin Khan, Director for Individual Practitioners, Arts Council England, Philippa Childs, Deputy General Secretary, of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union, Amy Tarr, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Creative UK, and Alexander Jacob, freelance television director, will explore how creative freelancers can be better supported and what the priorities should be for the new government champion. Chaired by Bernard Hay, Head of Policy, Creative PEC. Followed by Q&A and soft drinks reception.

The new State of the Nations report, Who stays and who leaves?: Mapping arts, culture and heritage careers, will be released and available to download on the day.

The Creative PEC is funded by the AHRC and led by Newcastle University with the RSA.

Speakers:

  • Yasmin Khan, Director for Individual Practitioners, Arts Council England
  • Philippa Childs, Head of Bectu
  • Amy Tarr, Associate Director, Policy & Research, Creative UK
  • Dr Mark Taylor, Research Lead for Arts, Culture and Heritage at Creative PEC, and Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Methods, University of Sheffield
  • Alexander Jacob, Freelance television director

Chair:

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Yasmin Khan

Director for Individual Practitioners, Arts Council England

Black and white portrait of a woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing earrings and a necklace, looking at the camera with a neutral expression. Ideal for freelancers or professionals in the creative industries. Vertical striped background.

Philippa Childs

Head of Bectu

Black and white portrait of an older woman with short hair, glasses, and hoop earrings, smiling in a blazer over a patterned top—capturing the confidence found among freelancers in the creative industries, with a softly blurred background.

Amy Tarr

Associate Director, Policy & Research, Creative UK

A woman with light hair tied back smiles at the camera. She is wearing a textured jacket and a light top, embodying the confident spirit of freelancers in the creative industries. The plain, light background complements this black-and-white portrait.

Mark Taylor

Research Lead, Arts, Culture and Heritage, Creative PEC, and Senior Lecturer, Quantitative Methods, University of Sheffield

A man with short hair and glasses smiles slightly, wearing a light shirt and a dark sweater—reflecting the confident, approachable style often seen among freelancers in the creative industries. The black-and-white image features a blurred background.

Alexander Jacob

Freelance television director

Black and white close-up portrait of a man with a beard and mustache, wearing a collared shirt and jacket, looking at the camera with a slight smile. A perfect profile image for freelancers in the creative industries, with blurred foliage in the background.

Bernard Hay

Head of Policy, Creative PEC

A person with short, curly dark hair and clear glasses smiles softly at the camera. Dressed in a patterned jacket over a collared shirt, they embody the style often seen in freelancers from creative industries. The blurred background hints at windows.

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A person wearing a bright orange sweater and yellow earrings smiles while seated on a green chair. They are on a stage or panel, with a blurred audience in the foreground and a projection screen in the background.

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