Boosting the Creative Economy in Our Community

The Stove aims to support the local economy in Dumfries and Galloway, specifically the creative and cultural sector.

Generally, we will:

• Create and deliver paid opportunities for people and businesses working in our local economy (see local opportunities below).
• Create and deliver opportunities for national and international creative practitioners to work in Dumfries and Galloway in such a way that knowledge, skills, and networks are increased in our sector locally.

Specifically, we will:

• Generate local opportunities for The Stove members in the first instance before extending them to the wider community of Dumfries and Galloway.
• Where possible, follow rates of remuneration stated by relevant professional bodies (e.g., Scottish Artists Union).
• Follow best commission practices as determined by the experience and knowledge of The Stove.

NB:

In the unlikely event that this policy conflicts with the procurement policy of project partners – funders, collaborators, curators – The Stove will discuss those issues openly with the intent of resolving them as quickly as possible.

As a general policy, The Stove will adopt sustainable and ethical procurement and continue to develop our own approach to these issues.

Commissioning and Contracting Information 2015-2021

Find out more about the value of contracts awarded over the past six years, and the distribution of creative contracts to both new artists and creatives, and geographic spread by visiting our Key Facts page here.

Our Commitment to Fair Pay for Freelancers

Commissioning freelancers is a major part of the work at The Stove. In 2022-23, we offered 180 individual commissions to local freelancers, worth a total of £204,000. On average, 32% of our income is paid to freelancers.

Paying freelancers fairly is a fundamental principle of The Stove. Fair rates of pay are an important factor in achieving our mission to support the development of the creative sector in our region, and we are proud to be a Real Living Wage Employer. Our approach to offering and agreeing rates of pay for freelancers is bespoke and arrived at on a case-by-case basis.

This approach acknowledges the complexity of individual circumstances for projects and freelancers, such as different levels of experience, the assets that people bring to situations (e.g., key subcontractors/contacts, etc.), the requirements of funders/partners, industry standards, and additional benefits offered in commissions (e.g., professional training, etc.).

In recognition of the multiplicity of factors involved in offering and agreeing rates of pay, The Stove does not have a pay policy that defines rates. Rather, as a values-led organisation, we use our values combined with many years of working experience and a collaborative/discursive approach with freelancers to arrive at rates for specific circumstances. We take this process so seriously that all payment contracts at The Stove have to be passed by our CEO, as the person ultimately responsible for the culture and values of The Stove.

We encourage anyone working with us to enter into an honest and clear conversation with us about the fairness of the rates of pay offered to them. We will endeavour at all times to acknowledge the power balance in pay negotiations, honour the rights of freelancers, and make conversations about pay as comfortable and transparent as possible.