Scandal of the arts workers who are abused, exploited, bullied.. & silenced

Whistleblowers allege culture of systemic abuse in creative industry

- BY HANNAH RODGER Political Editor

WHISTLEBLOWERS have lifted the lid on what they say is a culture of exploitation and harassment at Scottish Government-funded arts organisations.

Freelance staff are calling for ministers to get tough on rogue agencies where they claim bullying managers pay slave wages while receiving taxpayers’ cash, we can reveal.

Arts workers spoke to the Sunday Mail about their experience at organisations getting funding from Creative Scotland - the government's arts funding body which awards millions of pounds to cultural projects and institutions.

They are backing the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) campaign for Fair Work, which is urging the government to do more on its pledge to make Scotland a better and more inclusive place for workers.

Ministers launched a Fair Work action plan in 2022 which aimed to make Scotland a “leading Fair Work nation by 2025” but the STUC said the treatment of freelancers contradicts the objectives. An STUC report asked hundreds of freelance creative workers about their experiences and found a third of respondents had signed nondisclosure agreements forbidding them from talking about work.