Creu Cymru has successfully secured funding from the Arts Council of Wales Capital Programme to undertake a feasibility and scoping study for a proposed National Arts Freelancer Database for Wales.
The project will explore the development of a new digital platform designed to improve visibility, access to opportunities and fairer recruitment practices for freelance artists and cultural workers across Wales.
Freelancers are at the heart of Wales' arts and cultural sector, working across theatre, music, dance, literature, visual arts and many other disciplines. However, there is currently no single, cross-artform, Wales-wide platform that enables organisations to find freelance talent and allows freelancers to showcase their skills, experience and availability.
The funded feasibility phase will run over the coming months and will focus on understanding the needs of both freelancers and the organisations that work with them. Through consultation, research and technical exploration, Creu Cymru will work with a specialist technology partner and stakeholders across Wales to assess how a future database could best serve the sector.
As part of the project, Creu Cymru will undertake extensive sector consultation, including surveys, interviews, focus groups and discussions with freelancers, producing theatres, arts centres, festivals, venues, producers, funders and sector bodies. The aim is to ensure any future platform is designed collaboratively and reflects the realities of how freelance artists and organisations work.
Louise Miles-Payne, Director of Creu Cymru said:
"We are delighted to have secured this funding from Arts Council of Wales to explore the feasibility of what could become an important piece of national infrastructure for the arts sector in Wales.
At this stage, we are not designing a solution behind closed doors. We want to listen. We are keen to hear from freelancers working across all artforms, as well as the organisations, venues, festivals and producers who employ and commission freelance practitioners. Their experiences, challenges and ideas will be central to shaping the project.
We know that many opportunities are still accessed through informal networks. This project gives us an opportunity to explore whether a national platform could support greater visibility, transparency, accessibility and inclusion across the sector. We want to understand what people need, what concerns they may have, and how any future system could genuinely add value.
We are hugely grateful to the Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Government for this funding."
The feasibility study will examine user needs, review existing directory models, explore technical and operational options, and consider issues such as accessibility, bilingual provision, data governance and long-term sustainability. The project will culminate in a detailed feasibility report, technical specification, implementation roadmap and recommendations for future development.
Creu Cymru is particularly keen to engage freelancers across Wales, Welsh-language practitioners, early-career artists and those from communities that may currently face barriers to accessing opportunities, ensuring that any future platform is inclusive and representative of the breadth of creative talent across Wales.
Further information about how to participate in the consultation process will be announced in the coming weeks.
