Further £8.9m of support for freelancers in Wales’ creative sector

A further £8.9m of support for freelancers in Wales’ creative sector has been announced as of today, 10 February 2021.

This new round of the Cultural Recovery Fund will see creative freelancers receive an additional £2,500 of support whilst they are inactive due to the current lockdown restrictions.

It has provided £63m worth of support over the pandemic to help sustain the creative sector, and the Freelancers Fund has supported almost 3,500 freelancers in three phases.

The Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “The freelance sector plays a pivotal part in the Welsh economy and I am delighted we are able to provide additional support, which acknowledges the important contribution freelancers make to Welsh cultural life.

“The pandemic continues to present challenges for cultural and creative freelancers throughout Wales. We applaud their resilience and creativity during this period.

“We know we will need their professionalism, experience, enthusiasm and vision to help us come together and rebuild after the public health crisis has abated.”

Lewis Carter, an award-winning indie filmmaker from South Wales, released the documentary ‘Best Foot Forward’ on New Year’s Eve to celebrate Nos Galan Road Races.

Another of his films, ‘Showdown’, was funded due to the support received from the Welsh Government which features autistic actors and is released this week.

Lewis said: “The cultural freelancer grant meant I was able to pay fellow freelance creatives that worked on my documentary, Best Foot Forward, and boost the online release of my short film, Showdown.

“Showdown returns home from its international festival run having received awards from two of Wales’ most prestigious film festivals – Cardiff International Film Festival and the Bafta qualifying Carmarthen Bay International Film Festival.”

Angharad Jenkins, a freelance musician from Swansea, lost all of her live work overnight and has used the funding to adapt her practice and develop new skills.

She said: “I’ve grown and moved my private teaching practice online and I’ve been delivering 1:1 participatory music sessions for children with special learning needs through Live Music Now.

“The biggest learning curve for me has been learning to record remotely. I’ve been able to work with musicians in North Wales, Scotland, Oxford and as far away as Melbourne, Australia.

“I’ve been able to offer my skills as a session musician, as well as taking on private composition commissions, without needing to leave the house.

“I’ve also started singing and writing songs during this time. The slower pace of life has enabled me to think more creatively about my work. I am truly grateful for this lifeline, at such a worrying time, but nothing beats the experience of live music and I cannot wait to perform live in front of an audience again.”

Freelancers who have previously received support will receive a self-declaration letter, which they will need to respond to for the funding to be released.

The fund will not be open to new applications but those who missed out originally can apply for the Local Discretionary Grant, more details of which on the Business Wales website.