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Community arts worker : Salary and conditions

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Case studies

  • Typical starting salaries for administrative roles are £13,000, rising to between £20,000 and £27,000 for more senior roles.
  • Senior executives within local government or arts agencies can earn salaries of up to £40,000, but these require significant experience and are mainly strategic.
  • Freelance work is common within the sector. Rates range from £80 to £200/£250 per day, depending on experience, project budgets and location. Alternatively a set sum may be offered for the project over a specific timescale rather than a daily rate of pay. Job security and benefits are not comparable with public sector positions, but there is more flexibility and selectivity of work. It is also common for freelance creative professionals to combine part time employed work with freelance project work to provide a regular income. 
  • Although salaries are generally relatively low, as is common in the not-for-profit sector and the arts, job satisfaction is known to be comparatively high and many work in the sector because of their love of the arts.  
  • Long working hours, weekend and evening work are common, with working hours being linked to project work and community need, so a flexible approach is essential. Within museums, cinemas and galleries for example, the work may be more in line with office hours, with occasional evening and weekend work. For those working with young people the hours and times can vary as projects may be linked to the curriculum in school hours. Evening work may be required if the project or workshop is run through a youth club.
  • The location of the role will depend on where the arts worker is employed. For outreach or community-based projects, typical work settings include youth clubs, community centres, care or residential homes and schools. Outdoor work is not uncommon, when, for example, a project involves work at festivals and carnivals.
  • The general working atmosphere is relatively relaxed, with casual dress codes the norm. The exception to this is for official meetings with senior management in local government settings or external organisations, where more formal dress is required.
  • Community arts workers may be exposed to difficult or stressful situations, depending on the specific environments or particular groups they are working with.
  • Travel within the working day is normal if the role involves a lot of outreach work, either to local communities or around the region.
  • Opportunities for overseas travel may be possible but are limited. Funding for projects is often provided through sources such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)  and through grants from the Arts Council but it is very much down to the individual to pursue these opportunities.
 
AGCAS
Written by Marie O'Flaherty, University of Bedfordshire
Date: 
October 2009
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