FMTW – Weekly minutes 03 September 2021

Sep 3, 2021 | Our News

FREELANCERS MAKE THEATRE WORK MEETING: FRIDAY 03 SEPTEMBER

  1. Updates & reports: (9.35-9.45)
  • Onboarding & anti racism group invite
    • I have created an onboarding slack group which anyone is welcome to join – please pop on the group
    • PC – onboarding feels like a priority!
    • JU – after returning from holiday this will be my number one priority.
    • EJ – should everyone in the current room could invite one person and be that persons a buddy.
    • VM – do we have the capacity for this
  • Oops and Ouch update
    • Sunita has popped a outline of the Oops and Ouch on Slack – we will move forward using this and pop it in the chat.

 

  1. Agenda points (9.45-11.25)
  • Small Acts of Change
    • The real experience we are having at the moment is that a lot of people are working or trying to make ends meet, and that is making it hard to contribute to FMTW. We feel like we’re not contributing to FMT W. When the, The work of FMT w is about making a more equitable working environment for freelancers. And that’s around many things around offers and around auditions. But it’s around the life that we have as freelancers and maybe I’ve been a bit slow but it’s made me realize very sort of profoundly what the idea of being freelance friendly means. And that, I feel very different when I go into the workplace now to how I felt. A couple of years ago.And there’s something around the idea of the small acts that I’m trying to make in the workplace as I go in that I think are really valuable. And I’d love to gather people who are trying to make small changes happening happen, or people who would like to but don’t quite know how to but very much focused around the workplace, and I think that includes things like auditions and agents of any anywhere where you feel that small acts. So the microcosm of change where we can talk about them and share them, and also use them as a way to encourage people to do something similar. We don’t have to solve all of the problem and every problem in one breath, but I think the small changes and the way that we feel different, is something that would be really lovely to find a way to celebrate, to share to explore to also exchange in a small way when it doesn’t work.
    • VM – regular friday ‘Small Acts’ agenda point.
    • JU – would like to join in!
    • EJ – chance to share what is being tried, but also to share things that have impacted them. It could also be very light touch marketing / campaigning etc.
    • PM – this is a great opportunity to inspire each other.
    • PC – There are so many ways that this could manifest, and it would be great to start by walking.
    • VM – #SmallActs 
    • AL –  could be a newsletter and a light touch twitter campaign. Let’s start small!
    • PC – will write something to share with the whole group.
  • Actions suggested on away day
    • Freelancer social gatherings (possibly food related events etc.)
      • AC – A great conversation about how big and small this thing could be.
      • VM – I’ll ask 1-2-1 Shankho. Freelancer feast at the New Diorama? (London-centric, but with the hope that this could be UK wide)
      • AC – version of this somewhere (NDT?) as a test.

ACTION – Gather those who were in the 

  • Freelancers’ Charter
    • PC – Creative Industries Federation are doing the work very rigorously, and would like to engage us as a focus group.
    • VM – A lot of people have been doing a lot of work around charters / asks / principles, so the thinking is already being done.
  • FMTW conference/festival
    • VM – This is a great idea, but we need someone else to do it!
    • PM – We need to bolster in order to make this happen!
    • EJ – Is this an invite to onboarding new members.
    • JO – Challenge the notion that we dont have the energy for this, and perhaps this is what we need as a focus. Conferences driven by answers, for everyone, industry focus/freelance focus. Happy to lead on this!
    • VM – Having something like this in the diary is very hopeful! This would keep the freelancer perspective on the industry radar. Litmus test to see who would be interested in participating, to gather the energy that would want to be involved. Future Labs model should be part of the event (50/50 freelancers and organisations)
    • JU – this is a great opportunity to onboard new members and use the energy that exists in this room.
    • AC – could use critical friends of our own on this project! OBTT?
    • PM – The first bit of getting new volunteers into the group really more about getting new volunteers into the group, so that we, these conversations are fuller bodied.
    • JO – Will instigate initial conversation. Josie to send over names of those that were interested in this project from the away day.
    • VM – Should we ask our existing volunteers to contribute to an index of those that are contributing to the conversation.
    • PC – keeping the freelance conversation alive!
  • Mapping Freelance networks
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  1. Action points (11.20-11.25)

  

  1. AOB (11.25-11.30)
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