UK government appoints Freelance Champions for creative industries

The UK government has appointed Leila D’Aronville and Lizzie Crump as Freelance Champions to represent the approximately 703,000 self-employed workers within the creative industries. The duo will advocate for the sector and ensure freelancer perspectives inform government policy-making.

As part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the champions will sit on the Creative Industries Council. Their mandate includes addressing challenges identified in the Good Work Review, such as unpaid work, difficult working environments, and limited professional development opportunities.

Leila D’Aronville, founder of North East Cultural Freelancers, and Lizzie Crump, Co-Director of the arts network What Next?, will be supported by Dave O’Brien, a professor from the University of Manchester, who joins the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on academic secondment to provide research support.