Connecting, Collaborating, Creating: The Experiences of Creative Freelancers in Edinburgh in 2022

This report provides a snapshot of the state and needs of creative freelancers in the Edinburgh region in 2022.

The last few years have been both interesting and challenging for creative freelancers in Scotland. Given the constraints caused by the Covid pandemic, Brexit, and rising inflation and the cost of living, many freelancers have found themselves having to rethink their practice, strategies and life choices. While this unprecedented period hasn’t yet come to an end, it has highlighted the importance of the creative industries to the creative economy more than ever before.

At Creative Edinburgh, we strive to help creative practitioners develop and thrive throughout their journey, and we have done this for over a decade. It is essential for us to understand more about the community that we represent and freelancers play an important role in this large group of creatives. We seek to create a roadmap which will help Creative Edinburgh, but also other sector support agencies, to plan ahead to better support freelancers in the future.

Launched by Creative Edinburgh, the largest creative membership organisation in Edinburgh (5400+ members), with support from Creative Informatics, an ambitious research and development programme based in Edinburgh, this report was developed in collaboration with local creative freelance professionals, academic researchers and partnering organisations interested in valuable data relating to the sector, as the activity and growth of the creative sector evolves.

Focussed on freelancers and Creative Industry professionals living and working in Scotland, the information collected through this research provides a unique insight into the current status of the local sector, with the effects of Covid-19 and Brexit starting to make an impact. It raises a number of important issues which will be reported to the Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council, Creative Scotland and other stakeholders in view of improving available support and resources.

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