Valuing and paying artists
Including links to resources on www.a-n.co.uk
Charging
Pricing
Negotiating
Value
Worth
Measurement
Professionalism
Position
Status
Artists' work and skills are of
great value but it can often
be hard for new artists to
work out what to charge,
how to price work and how to
manage their negotiations.
This info sheet provides
some guidance and links to
more detailed resources.
“You are an artist. Articulate and defend
your ideas and your place in society.
This isn’t just a fight for your own
survival; it’s a fight to imagine and
articulate a not-so-distant artistic future
that can become a reality in our
lifetime.”
Margaret Lam
From a commentary published on
www.a-n.co.uk/news
www.a-n.co.uk
© a-n The Artists Information Company 2014
Page 1 of 4 pages
Charging and day rates
Because artists’ activities and employment options can be equated with
teachers, we get to following information.
1. Newly qualified artist should aim to make £24,000 a year;
2. Artist with 10 years experience might make £39,030
But teachers are employed, and artists rarely are for their arts activities
so there are some add ons to make the teacher’s salary equivalent:
+ 11% (employers’ NIC) £2640
+ 5% pension contribution £1200
£24,000 salary = for a self-employed artist £27,840 pa
Figure rises at c£1K a year as you grow in experience. After 10 years
increases depend on status, market forces and other ‘reputation’ factors.
Add £1K for ‘London weighting’ (or other major conurbations)
-
subtract from the 260 working days a year
8 Bank holidays
25 holidays
5 training
15 R&D
15 making submissions/quoting for work/going for interviews
10 admin
5 being ill/child off sick, compassionate leave
anything else?
= 177 available working days a year
£27,840 /177 = £157 labour-only day rate
Adding in your overheads
Things like (estimates):
-
£300 Insurances (public liability, equipment workspace/studio contents)
£2000 studio rent/ bills
£240 mobile tel
£360 broadband package
£150 computer consumables CD, flashdrive, printer cartridges
£75 subscriptions and memberships
£100 printing paper/envelopes
£100 books/periodicals
£500 research – visits, documentation
£500 travel cards/costs
£250 professional development, mentoring, courses, talks
£200 professional services (legal/financial advice)
£200 website
£200 advertising / business card/ postcard
© a-n The Artists Information Company 2014
Page 1 of 4 pages
-
£1,500 (if you have a vehicle count the business element)
£300 (1/3 of cost of laptop/ipad as replacement every 3 years)
£250 – replacement over 3 years other equipment you have
£300 – tools/equipment
- £150 bank/finance/overdraft charges etc
Annual overhead cost £7,675/177 days = £44 overheads day rate
£157 labour-only day rate + £44 overheads day rate
= £201 total day rate or annual overall income requirement of £27,840
+ £7,675 = £35,515
Hot links
Do your own calculations and store them so you can update, recheck,
produce estimates: www.a-n.co.uk/resource/the-artists-fees-toolkit
Sample day rates inc overheads at 1-10 years experience:
www.a-n.co.uk/resource/sample-fees-and-day-rates-for-visual-artists2014-15
Some things to remember about charging fees:
-
you’re the best person to know what you need to charge and your
value
-
don’t expect others to know correct rate – they’re probably still
using one someone mentioned to them 10 years ago.
-
Have rates to hand when meeting commissioners/ organisers
-
be prepared to negotiate – don’t just accept what’s offered
Join a-n + AIR – for professional visual and applied artists for £36
at www.a-n.co.uk
-
Online community to grow your networks, with tools for blogging,
collecting, conversing.
Professional development opportunity + bursaries
Inform your practice with resources including guides, toolkits,
contracts, research and archives.
Member consultations, events and networking.
Jobs and opps online – sign up for alerts to your preferred
categories
Representation through AIR and Paying artists campaign
Working to influence arts policy and improve conditions for artists.
Insurance
Free £5m Public and Products Liability (PPL) insurance + affordable
insurance packages for artists
© a-n The Artists Information Company 2014
Page 1 of 4 pages
Paying artists campaign
www.payingartists.org.uk
Launched in May 2014, the Paying artists
campaign goal is:
Artists should be remunerated for
exhibiting in publicly-funded spaces.
Campaign Objectives
1.
Transparency on artists’ pay
Galleries should develop transparent policies that value the artist and
demonstrate how they are recognising artists’ roles in their success. If
funders support galleries to introduce transparent policies on paying
artists, they will ensure public investment delivers maximum value by
supporting diversity in the art that is exhibited in those venues – so
enabling the public to access the broadest possible pool of creative talent.
2.
National policy and guidance
Government and strategic agencies should issue guidance to provide
clarity and minimum standards in artists’ pay. The government’s ambition
to ensure the UK arts sector continues to lead the world will only be
realised if our galleries can access a diverse pool of visual artists, and if
the £2 billion committed to the arts through Arts Council England is used
to foster our artistic talent.
3.
Pay policy in funding agreements
The Arts Councils and other public bodies should write pay policy
requirements into funding agreements. This will directly support funders’
strategic goals by fostering excellence and increasing resilience in the
arts; ensuring diversity in the arts workforce; and supporting accessibility
of the arts for all.
4.
Research into payment of visual artists
Government should initiate a national review of the contribution of visual
arts to the UK economy and communities, the role artists play and assets
they create and the extent and impact of no or low pay on artists
livelihoods and wellbeing. As there are differences across regions and
institutions in the way artists are remunerated, expert research is needed
to understand how artists’ pay is reflected across the sector and to
recommend future frameworks and policy.
5.
Artists empowered to make the case for payment
Visual artists themselves need to be supported to negotiate for fair rates
of pay within contracts and terms. This not only applies to emerging
artists but also to those not represented by a commercial gallery, who
often lack the experience of what is reasonable and the confidence to
make equitable professional arrangements.
© a-n The Artists Information Company 2014
Page 1 of 4 pages