Arts Council England published its first-ever co-created Freelancers’ Handbook, offering practical support to freelancers across the cultural sector, and the guidance for the organisations that work with them.
Created by freelancers, for freelancers, the free digital handbook covers essential topics including contracts, fees, funding, tax, business development, and professional wellbeing.
Download the guide here: Freelancer Handbook 2026
Guided by the people to need it
Written and co-edited by independent cultural consultant Rachel Mapplebeck, the Freelancers’ Handbook has been developed in response to findings from the 2024 Cultural Freelancers Study, Arts Council England’s first major study of its kind, which surveyed and consulted more than 5,000 cultural freelancers.
Its chapters include contributions from freelancers who analysed Arts Council’s existing policies and assisted in the development of the Freelancers’ Handbook.
They are: Leila d’Aronville, founder of North East Freelancers Network and newly appointed Freelance Champion for the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport; Caitriona Shoobridge, creative director in Theatre, Film and Audio; and Dr Furaha Asani, Scholar, Researcher, Writer, and Speaker.
Practical tools for freelance creatives
The Freelancers’ Handbook provides practical guidance for the estimated 30% of the cultural workforce operating as freelancers. It contains information on fair pay and contracting, late payments and recourse mechanisms, legal and financial knowledge, finding work, networking, professional development, and wellbeing.
It also includes practical tools such as fee calculators, a contracting checklist, email templates, invoice guidance and pay negotiation tips, alongside wellbeing support and information about professional associations and unions.
Alongside this, the Freelancers’ Handbook is accompanied by a Resources Directory, providing listings of paid work opportunities, funded programmes and skills development training, and to be updated regularly with new findings.
Supporting creative careers
For cultural organisations working with freelancers, there is a checklist which draws on insight, guidance and good practice in the Handbook to be used as a planning and self-evaluation tool. This includes a new Freelancers’ Fair Work Pledge which promotes fair pay, contracting, crediting work, and supporting inclusion and access.
These new tools form part of the Arts Council’s ongoing commitment to supporting creative and cultural freelancers, including co-designing a new Service for Individuals with freelancers, which will have a national funding programme at its heart. User feedback for the Freelancers’ Handbook will further inform the development of the service, to begin rolling out in 2027/28.
Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said:
“Creative professionals are the hearts and minds that power the arts, museums and libraries across England. So, it’s vital that we invest in their future. These new tools provide support both for individuals and for the organisations that work with them. Our sector is strongest when we all work together, so I hope that these new resources will play a part in building a fair and sustainable cultural sector where everyone belongs and has the opportunity to flourish.”
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