On 11th November Wendy delivered a very popular lecture during which she outlined her career, introduced the AA2A program and gave a detailed insight in to working as a self-employed creative. Originally trained as a silversmith and jeweller, and having been self-employed herself for 20 years, Wendy was passionate about the AA2A project and self-employment as a viable and beneficial way to work post-graduation.
The lecture covered a broad range of topics surrounding the subject including the benefits of being self-employed such as flexibility, variety and life/work balance. Wendy clarified some of the jargon that proliferates, for example terminology such as “freelancer”, and also gave practical information including an overview of personal tax allowances, National Insurance, copyright and insurance. Having been self-employed a number of times over my own career I have some experience of the implications and administrative work involved, however, on chatting later to a number of students who attended, I received clear and enthusiastic feedback that this had been a very useful part of the lecture.
A broad range of useful organisations, important for networking, was introduced including the Arts Council, Crafts Council, ArtQuest and Artists Union, England. Along with the concept of “portfolio careers”, where Wendy recognised that it may be necessary to work simultaneously as employed and self-employed, in order to earn sufficient income. The most interesting piece of advice, personally for myself, was “shed rules”; having transformed my garden shed to a small studio space (though currently for the creation only of University work, not yet for sale) I should be mindful in the future to ensure “dual use” i.e. not only as a studio but also for its intended purpose of housing my garden tools, so as not to attract a business rate assessment.
Following the lecture, Wendy collected email addresses and subsequently forwarded a detailed 14 page document full of really useful information and in support of the AA2A’s digital MIOT pack; ‘Making it out there’. Furthermore, as the third-year student rep for Artists Access to Art Colleges, I personally get to build my profile and blog on this platform. Win win!
