FREELANCERS MAKE THEATRE WORK MEETING: FRIDAY 01 OCTOBER
Chair: Peter McKintosh
Minutes: Josie Underwood
Present: Peter McKintosh, Josie Underwood, Paule Constable, Jake Orr, EJ Park, Athena Stevens, Paul Carey Jones, Alistair Cope
Apologies: Sunita Hinduja, Vicki Mortimer, Ben Arkell
Early/late: Athena Stevens popping in and out, Alistair arrive late, Paul Carey Jones arrive late
Updates and reports
Anti-racis
We got together to go through the Inc Arts Unlock toolkit, and worked through the toolkit making commitments that we felt worked for us in, and then selected realistic time frames for these commitments (with options of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years). The toolkit created conversation around hiring and diversity. The main thing we noticed through going through the form was that we don’t have a process in place to report and deal with incidents of racism within FMTW. We discussed having a meeting to work out what this process would be, and to talk about fundraising for a pot of money reserved for hiring independent help in the case that it is needed. Sunita commented that as a person of the global majority knowing that this pot of money is in place would be a comfort on coming into FMTW, and while the hope is that it would never be needed, it demonstrates real thinking and care in place for when it might be needed.
We will have weekly meetings to work through the toolkit (Wednesday 6th 9-10am next week), and separate meetings to action the points that come up.
PC: We also talked about how the toolkit is very much built for buildings, organisations and employers, so we had to alter some of the wording/thinking to make it applicable to FMTW. We hope to report back to Inc Arts about the format of the toolkit
JO: What’s the aim of us going through the toolkit in our organisation? And how do we share the learning with those that aren’t in the meetings?
PC: To be true to our values and ensure that we are not just performatively claiming that FMTW is anti-racist, but that we are doing the work. We will share minutes from each meeting with our commitments and the conversation and learning that has arisen from each meeting.
EJ: Wasn’t present at the anti-racism meeting but it sounds like the toolkit encourages us to think of what the questions are we are asking ourselves.
PM: The commitments we have made throughout the toolkit will end up standing as a document to show what we have committed to and in what timescale, and we can then be help accountable.
ACTION POINT:
- Next anti-racism meeting Wed 6th Oct, 9-10am. (Send out link JU)
- Set up meeting to action the points that arose from first anti-racism meeting (JU)
New members
We discussed in our meeting on Thursday that we have three months left of funding, and as one of those months is December we need to seriously start kickstarting projects and inviting new volunteers into the space so that we have capacity to carry out these projects.
Josie and Al are going to set up meetings to discuss the projects/group ideas we have had for the past few months (Wellbeing, Lobbying/Brexit, Research, Small Acts, Freelancer finance, freelancer festival)
Wellbeing to do list
AC: Write up wellbeing outreach offer (e.g. Dawn Chorus, volunteer ownership and FMTW facilitation) to those in FMTW and the wider community to provide space to light touch facilitate wellbeing events.
PC: Could we do a Tea breaks for freelancers to create solidarity?
EJ: Use our platform to promote other wellbeing services/partnering with other people that already do workshops/weekly events etc
JU: Town halls were mentioned often in strategy meetings. This would be a less light touch offer that we would have to structure much more than tea breaks, etc.
EJ: Town hall in a context of wellbeing is interesting
JO: What is a town hall?
EJ/PC: A space for listening and airing thoughts/concerns, usually structured around a particular topic, where anyone can come along and input.
JO: Would the intention be to listen and gather an understanding of where the freelance community is at the moment, or would this be with the aim to create action around the thoughts/worries of the community?
EJ: There is a tricky balance if the town hall is also a space for recruitment, as those attending and talk have a sense that they need to impress
JU: Could it instead be an offer to those who attend, that if they enjoy being in the space of the town hall and feel that they can offer their time to FMTW that they are welcome to come along to future meetings after the town hall?
PC: This would be great opportunity to open us up to the wider community
ACTION POINT:
- Wellbeing project: Reach out to tea breaks group (Al)
- Ask wider community to see when they would like tea breaks to run (Al)
- Ask FMTW group to see if anyone has any wellbeing offers, or knows of any events/groups that are already happening so that we can join up and promote them (JU)
- Reach out to FMTW volunteers with individual asks, targeted and focused (JU)
- Create document with ALL the asks so people can see all things together (JU)
Research to do list
JU: We will relaunch Big Freelancer Survey in connection with University of Essex who have offered help with research
EJ: Would it be useful think of this as a freelancer census, so we aim to gather this information annually, as there is no data collected for freelancers. It would also be great to link all the data/work that is being done.
AC: Each year we can build the data, and improve on the previous year.
PM: This would be a great thing to focus on in the next month or so that we get this out as soon as possible.
PC: Each area of FMTW concern (wellbeing, lobbying, research etc) is
AC: This is something that we can crowdsource
PC: Is this a GDPR issue with creating a database
JU: There is a way of creating a database with individual info, so that not all contacts need to be shared
EJ: Would the research group be able to be called on by other groups to do research for them?
JU: I think in the long term this would be a great goal, but for now it would good to start working on individual projects and then see how we go!
ACTION POINT:
- Reach out to the people that were initially involved in the BFS
- Research project: Pooling information and joining all the dots!
Lobbying to do list
PC: Is brexit and lobbying the same or two different? Titas mentioned that we could take the conversation to the opposition?
JU: Could you write an invitation to the wider community?
PC/PCJ: Yes! Will write a specific ask for the wider community to invite anyone interested!
PC: Should we put the invites (Wellbeing, Lobbying, Research) to the wider community in our newsletter on Monday?
JU: I have no capacity over the weekend, and therefore this would be tricky for me!
EJ: Some of the asks are still a little fuzzy so perhaps we aim for all the invites to be finalised this week and sent out next Monday? – Agreed! Offer to have a look over the values document.
JU: Newletter invite offer to go on slack, with the offer for feedback and comments. Anyone can contact those at this meeting to chat!
ACTION POINT:
- PCJ and PC to write an invitation to the brexit/lobbying group
- Put the offer on slack for a newsletter inviting new members, and offer to the wider group
- Finalise FMTW values and practice document so that we can send to new volunteers
AOB
- David Pugh letter – what’s next?
- We have written a response to the tweet in the form of a letter to SOLT asking them what their response to David’ Pugh’s behaviour is. This will be shared on Slack and discussed at next Friday’s meeting.
ACTION POINT:
- Share David Pugh / SOLT letter on Slack for feedback, discuss next friday
ACTION POINTS RECAP
- Next anti-racism meeting Wed 6th Oct, 9-10am. (Send out link JU)
- Set up meeting to action the points that arose from first anti-racism meeting (JU)
- Wellbeing project: Reach out to tea breaks group (AC)
- Ask wider community to see when they would like tea breaks to run (AC)
- Ask FMTW group to see if anyone has any wellbeing offers, or knows of any events/groups that are already happening so that we can join up and promote them (JU)
- Reach out to FMTW volunteers with individual asks, targeted and focused (JU)
- Create document with ALL the asks so people can see all things together (JU)
- Reach out to the people that were initially involved in the BFS (JU & AC)
- Research project: Pooling information and joining all the dots!
- PCJ and PC to write an invitation to the brexit/lobbying group (PCJ & PC)
- Slack – put the offer on slack for a newsletter, and offer to the wider group
- Finalise FMTW values and practice document so that we can send to new volunteers
- Share David Pugh / SOLT letter on Slack for feedback, discuss next friday