Why should this concern the Scottish Artist's Union?

Visual and Applied Artists in Scotland who are professional and
highly skilled will volunteer their skills and time for a variety of
reasons and not solely for money.

Given that only 18% of Artists make a living from their work, many of
the others are clearly gaining rewards in other ways.

Access to professional development and work experience are often
through the route of volunteering and that volunteer run, not for
profit organisations (like the Scottish Artists' Union) rely on
volunteers absolutely, before they will employ staff to provide
services and run activities. The voluntary sector is also a key
employer of freelance artists (from all disciplines and crafts) with
employment opportunities in the sector likely to continue to grow
over the next five to ten years. Artists and arts workers in the
sector are mainly employed on a temporary and project–to-project
basis.

These `third sector' organisations (and their funders) are in a
unique position to lead the way in supporting the SAU's objectives in
setting fair rates of pay and working conditions for their freelance
creative workforce. Indeed these community and social economy
organisations could offer artists other benefits: continuing
professional development, training and work-based learning, workshop
facilities and studios, flexible short term studio lets, storage,
exhibition space, office and administration facilities and services,
access to information about grants, awards and community projects.

A Cultural Social Economy Seminar would give us a chance to put our
demands on the table and persuade key players to recognise how
vulnerable creative workers are, how the ambiguities and ill defined
working practices currently operating in the deployment of
volunteering, temporary and freelance arts workers only serves to
undermine the individual who is often coming into to an organisation
temporarily and as such, cannot always rely on the support that
normal employees would expect.

To suggest that the Scottish Artists' Union is only there to
represent the 18% of artists who are full time professional
practitioners based on their income only would be misrepresenting the
majority of our membership who are not in that category and seriously
limit our scope and representational ability. To deny the
professionalism of qualified and experienced art workers and artists
who choose to volunteer for professional development, community or
family reasons would be political suicide.

The fact is that artists make their art no matter what their
circumstances and often despite them. By attending an informal
seminar at this time, which would bring together the leading strands
of voluntary arts, cultural planning and policy and `creative'
education would give us a chance to make powerful allies and
partnerships which would lead to improvements for art and community
education, access and facilities for arts practice and it's
development. Our goal should be to secure sustainable remuneration
and rewards for practitioners and this is a key moment in time when
our voice should be heard. I believe that the will to improve how we
educate, employ and empower the creative workforce of Scotland has
never been stronger and that the Scottish Artist's Union is being
looked on to speak out for our members.