ALT Dear Secretary of State, I am writing to you on behalf of the many thousands of freelancers who work in film and TV and who are members of Bectu, the UK’s union for the creative industries. Bectu appreciates the support that you have shown the industry while in this role, including reviewing and extending tax relief to encourage inward investment and championing the UK as a great place for film and TV production, due to both the extensive studio space but also the excellent skills and creativity of the crew (our members). Like you, we are incredibly proud of the sector and its huge economic and cultural contribution is undeniable. You have recently made several references to the UK’s booming creative industries, and film and TV in particular. Whilst I appreciate that you were refencing 2022 figures, the harsh reality for tens of thousands of industry workers is far from the production boom of 2022. I attach our new report, out today, based on a poll of over 4,000 industry workers earli
ALT “I feel abandoned. I've dedicated my life to this career and overnight everything I've worked towards has fallen apart.” “To have given up so much of my life to working in TV (long hours, stressful contracts, weeks away from home) only to find myself finding it impossible to now get work, is the most soul-destroying part. This is the lowest I’ve ever felt, and completely hopeless for the future. And what is worse is seeing so many others saying the same thing.” “I’m scared. A career I’ve worked so hard for, as an ethnic minority working mum, it’s all for nothing. As freelancers we’re told it’s part of the risk of choosing this job we’re ‘so lucky’ to have. Yet what do we have to show for it? Nothing. No pension. No career. No future. Starting from scratch in my mid 40s with a mortgage and children that depend on me. It feels like redundancy without any severance package.” You can read further reflections from the workforce in our report. A huge 88% are concerned about their financial s
ALT In November last year, a Directors UK poll of its members - television and film directors - found that 62% were without work. This is grimly similar to the latest survey published by Bectu today with 68% of respondents currently not working. 58% say they have not seen any recovery in their employment since the end of the US strikes. The Bectu survey also found that 75% of respondents are struggling with their mental health. There is also a price to be paid in diversity with 50% of black respondents seeing themselves quitting the industry in the next five years as well as 40% of women respondents. The UK simply cannot afford to haemorrhage more vital production talent and the Government must hold an industry summit to discuss how the UK’s production and commissioning ecosystem needs to be reformed in order to address this unrelenting crisis. Directors are about finding solutions to difficult problems and Directors UK is also determined to find positive solutions
