Apply for a £250 bursary to attend this online summer programme of Learning and Action to drive more equitable conditions in the Arts.
The Lowry are delighted to offer 15 bursaries of £250 to artists, practitioners, and freelancers who are 18years old or over and living in Greater Manchester to attend the online programme FREELANCE: FUTURES which will take place until Friday 15th July.
FREELANCE: FUTURES is a 9-week programme for independent practitioners, cultural organisations, unions, funders and policymakers to explore how fairer working conditions for freelancers can be achieved across the arts and culture sector. The programme has been convened by a freelancer-led consortium, who have come together to build on existing advocacy, research and campaigning across culture. The consortium includes Freelancers Make Theatre Work, Inc Arts, Migrants In Culture, MAX Musician and Artist Exchange, people make it work and What Next?. FREELANCE: FUTURES has been commissioned and funded by Arts Council England.
The events will cover four themes: organising for equitable freelancing conditions, understanding freelancer rights and resources, transforming organisations to create equitable freelancer conditions and policy making to support equitable freelancer conditions. All events are accessible, free to attend and will result in a permanent platform containing resources, toolkits, and documented workshops and talks for ongoing use.
More details about the FREELANCE: FUTURES programme can be found here: Freelance : Futures (freelancefutures.org)
The Lowry recognises that freelancers are often not remunerated for time taken to attend sector events, and we will offer 15 bursaries to freelancers based across Greater Manchester to take part in this programme. We want to ensure that the voices and experiences of independent artists, practitioners and freelancers in our region are represented in these conversations, and that learning from these discussions comes back to Greater Manchester to inform and progress the way we work now as a sector and in the future.
We will also invite all selected freelancers to attend a Zoom meeting after the 15th July with our Senior Producer: Artist Development to discuss and share thoughts / learning from the FREELANCE: FUTURES programme.
If you are interested in attending FREELANCE: FUTURES and would like to apply for a £250 bursary as a contribution towards your time, then please complete the expression of interest form below. You can also submit your expression of interest as a video or audio file.
We particularly encourage expressions of interest from people who are underrepresented in the arts, including people who experience racism, identify as working class, have disabilities, are from the LGBTQ+ community, are care experienced or are discriminated against.
If you would like to speak with one of the Artist Development team before submitting your expression of interest, then please contact artistdevelopment@thelowry.com to arrange a time.
To submit your Expression of interest, please click here
We will respond to everyone who has applied by Wednesday 8th June.