Earlier this summer (where has the sun gone?) Freelance Lighting Designer and FMTW member Paule Constable was interviewed about the Freelance crisis for the Glyndebourne Theatre newsletter.
“The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been catastrophic for the performing arts, with much of the industry in complete shutdown since March 2020.
The negative impact has fallen disproportionately on freelancers who make up around 70% of the theatre workforce. One third fell through the cracks in government support and many have been forced to find other work, or leave the industry altogether. Adding to their plight is the disruption caused by Brexit, which is threatening to severely reduce opportunities to work on the continent, and one year on from the start of the pandemic, despite the fact that theatres are beginning to reopen, the situation remains perilous.
To reflect on the experience for freelancers and arts companies over the past 12 months we brought together Glyndebourne’s managing director Sarah Hopwood and Paule Constable, a leading lighting designer who has helped create numerous Glyndebourne productions. In conversation with Kate Harvey in April, they discuss the lessons of the past year and how the industry might be able to offer more protection to freelancers in the future. “
