The Big Freelancer Survey Report 2025:  Who’s Taking the Hit?

Freelancers Make Theatre Work have just launched The Big Freelancer Report 2025 ‘Who’s Taking the Hit?‘. The report is the result of the final instalment of five annual surveys designed to capture the experiences of performing arts freelancers across the UK since 2020.

This report marks the fifth and final instalment of annual studies from Freelancers Make Theatre Work examining the current challenges facing freelancers, with a stark 44% of freelancers reported to earn an overall income that is less than the UK National Living Wage

You can download both the executive summary and full report here.

The report highlights:
• Pay remains criminally low, and getting worse with 44% of respondents earning less than the National Living Wage
• Of those surveyed, 32% said over half of the hours they worked in the sector were unpaid
• Pay has steadily decreased in the past 3 years while expenses have increased or remained the same and nearly half (48%) of freelancers have no pension or other financial retirement plan.
• The mental health crisis among the freelance workforce has also continued, with 39% reporting that their mental health had worsened over the last year.
• 51% of respondents said that incidents of bullying, harassment, discrimination, and other negative behaviours in the workplace had not been followed up even when reported.
• 70% of freelancers reported feeling quite or very insecure about their careers, a proportion which has increased significantly each year since the question was first asked in 2022.
• Over 63% of freelancers reported feeling quite or very undervalued by the industry.
• Only 47% of freelancers make 100% of their income from freelance work in the sector: 62% said this is due to not enough opportunities and 46% said freelance work in the sector is not paid enough
• 18% of freelancers reported working more than 50 hours a week on a frequent basis.
• Two-thirds of freelancers were unable to say for sure that they feel they have a long-term future in the industry.
FMTW will continue beyond this final report to ensure that freelancers remain a vital part of the conversation. This is the beginning of our work, not the end.

We are sharing the report far and wide amongst leading organisations, theatres and government bodies. If you know of any organisations, individuals or theatres who would benefit from the data in this report please do share with them. We would also be available for further comment and/or discussion around the issues covered in the report.

The 2025 report highlights key issues facing the freelance theatre workforce. Conducted March-April 2025, this year’s survey highlights that the freelance workforce bears the brunt of tough economic times, with the impact being felt more severely than ever. In response to the lead survey question ‘Who’s taking the hit?’ the findings of the report reveal 44% of freelancers reported earning an overall income which was less than the UK National Living Wage, a significant increase from the 34% who did not meet this threshold in last year’s report. The proportion of freelancers earning less than the UK National Living Wage was higher for female respondents (47%), those from Black (46%) and Asian (49%) ethnic backgrounds, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds (54%), and those with disabilities or other medical conditions which impact their day-to-day working lives (55%).

The underlying reasons for this crisis of low pay include high levels of unpaid working hours: 32% of respondents reported that 50% or more of their working hours were unpaid; and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis: 75% of respondents reported that their work-related expenses had increased over the last twelve months. Meanwhile, only 30% reported that their income had increased, with 40% suffering a decrease in income over the same period.

Key recommendations and actions in the report include working with government, industry and funding bodies to develop a funding model to guarantee fair pay; advocating to the Arts Councils and Creative Scotland to achieve a better understanding of freelancers’ working models and financial needs; more accessible funding models and greater transparency in their decision making. The report also recommends encouraging the industry to sign up to a code of conduct for treating freelancers fairly, and creating and supporting mechanisms for speaking out and standing up to exploitative, harmful practice, including under-payment by Arts Council England funded organisations, projects or productions.

Thank you so much to all of you who have taken the time and effort to respond to the Big Freelancer Surveys in your thousands over the last five years. These have been surveys of freelancers, by freelancers, for freelancers.

This final survey marks the beginning, not the end, of our work. You have provided the data. It’s time now for the industry to take action.