Politics

As The Creative Industries Suffer, The Government Still Refuses To Support Its Freelancers

"Pretty weird seeing people scoff at the idea of paying artists relief funds during this shutdown while also answering every "what are you doing during quarantine" post with "binge-ing tv shows, movies, books, comics and podcasts."

by Rachael Conaghan  8 April 2020
freelance theatre funding arts

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Today, Parliament passed its $130 billion JobKeeper allowance. Around six million Australians are expected to benefit from the package — a $1500 fortnightly payment designed to keep people working through the economic crisis by providing a wage subsidy to their employer.

But not everyone is eligible for the government assistance — including the industry more or less responsible for keeping people sane through this pandemic.

The creative industries are worth $111 billion to Australia’s economy, but in the midst of our current social isolation you can’t put a price on it.

With people no longer able to go outside, the arts are becoming a saviour to most (if not all) of us — watching movies, tuning into musicians’ livestreams, streaming theatre shows, bingeing television.

But the freelancers who produce this work — everyone from writers, makeup artists, camera operators, editors, sound and lighting technicians, et al — are being left out of the government’s new JobKeeper package.

It’s a damaging move for the industry that has has not just hit a downturn — it’s completely ceased operating.

What Is Happening To Our Freelancers?

When the coronavirus pandemic reached Australia it hit our arts industry first, and it hit it the hardest.

One-by-one, our music festivals toppled. Overseas SXSW, Ultra and Coachella were the first to make waves — closer to home, Bluesfest, Dark Mofo, Splendour, and even our bushfire relief concerts were forced to pull the pin.

Up until then, the pandemic seemed like some distant threat, something we heard about on the news but didn’t imagine would seriously impact our way of life. For many people, these cancellations were the first indication of how bad things were going to get.

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How To Support Australia's Music Industry During The Coronavirus Crisis

A website set up to record the lost income from cancelled gigs soon hit $330 million.

From there the crisis steamrolled not just the music industry, but the arts in general. The film and TV industry has ground to a halt, putting thousands of freelancers out of work.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the industry, pretty much the entire workforce is excluded from the JobKeeper allowance.

Generally, staff are hired as PAYG employees and go from contract to contract. Under the new JobKeeper allowance, freelancers (apart from sole traders with an ABN) and casuals with less than 12 months of continuous work are not eligible for the payment.

Sydney-based TV producer Ryan Carter is one of those freelancers in this position — he’s watched months of work suddenly disappear, after years spent working on major entertainment shows across every Australian network.

“For the most part, we’re able to line up contracts back-to-back, but with all upcoming productions suspended indefinitely due to COVID-19, there is zero work available,” he told Junkee.

“My most recent gig as a producer on Dancing With The Stars had to wrap filming a week earlier than scheduled, due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Many of the production team were meant to then start pre-production on another major show, which has since been halted indefinitely. This has happened to everyone I know in the industry.”

Ryan said even though many freelancers have worked full-time for many years, they’ve been completely overlooked by the government’s JobKeeper package.

He’s not the only one who thinks so — the MEAA (the union covering Australia’s creative industries) have been pushing for the government to expand the payment criteria, and encouraging people to share their stories.

MEAA Chief Executive Paul Murphy said the scheme would keep some arts and entertainment workers on payrolls, but completely ignored freelancers who work gig-to-gig.

“If this particular group of freelance employees are not also eligible, it will mean many thousands of arts and entertainment workers have no choice but to rely on the welfare system for an indefinite period,” he said.

The Arts Are Valued, But Not Rewarded

In December, the government gave the industry a huge slap in the face by getting rid of the federal arts department and merging it with the transport department, of all things.

A month later that same industry stepped up to support Australia during what was possibly its worst ever summer, by raising money for bushfire relief.

Even now, the industry is lifting the country up by providing their labour for free — the Isol-Aid festival is only one example of this.

“At the moment, everyone is self-isolating at home, and binge-watching a lot of TV shows and films. I don’t think many people realise how many workers it takes to put these shows together – and, that almost all of us involved in these productions have no financial protection from the sudden and complete shutdown of our industry,” Ryan said.

“Beyond just TV and film, Australia’s wider arts community of live performers, musicians, artists, writers, and many others, have been left out in the cold with no help.

“Many of them have turned to the internet to create unique and original content, so I urge people to seek them out and contribute what they can.”

Those who are excluded from the JobKeeper payment are still eligible for JobSeeker, but that is worth around $400 less a fortnight.

The JobKeeper guarantees employees at least $1500 a fortnight and keeps them linked to their employer. On JobSeeker there are different rates, but a single person is eligible for $1115.70 a fortnight (including the coronavirus supplement).

For those who need to apply, you can do so at mygov.com.au.

Feature Image: Creative Commons