Freelance vs. Employed: What It’s Really Like Working in the UK Creative Industries

If you’re starting a creative career in the UK—whether in design, media, art, or marketing—you’ve probably heard the word freelance thrown around a lot. But what does being freelance actually mean, and how does it compare to being employed?

Let’s break it down.

What Does “Freelance” Mean?

Freelancing means you’re self-employed. You don’t work for one employer full-time; instead, you work with multiple clients or companies, often on short-term contracts or one-off projects.

Freelancers in the creative industries might be:

• Graphic designers taking on branding projects
• Photographers shooting events or campaigns
• Writers creating content for websites or magazines
• Filmmakers editing videos for businesses or artists
• Producers working on one event for a short period

You manage your own time, workload, and income—and you’re responsible for your own taxes (through HMRC’s Self Assessment). Rather than a set place of employment (like a shop or office), you might work from home, co-working spaces, cafes, or on the go, and

The Pros of Freelancing

• Flexibility – Choose when, where, and how you work.
• Variety – Work on different types of projects with a range of clients.
• Creative freedom – More control over the kind of work you take on.
• Potential to earn more – If you’re in demand, you can set your rates and grow your income.

The Cons of Freelancing

• No guaranteed income – Work can be irregular, especially when starting out.
• No employment benefits – No sick pay, holiday pay, or pension unless you set them up yourself.
• You’re your own boss – Which means handling contracts, invoices, taxes, and finding your own work.
• Can be isolating – You often work alone, without a team environment.

Taxes and Income

Being freelance means you can set your own rates for your work; hourly, daily, or per project. As your experience increases, so can your rates; however many freelancers fall into the trap of setting their initial rates too low when starting out and undervaluing their work. Freelancing does, however, mean that income can vary month to month depending on workload. You’ll often invoice clients after completing the work, and then wait to be paid (unto 30 days).

Being employed usually means you work permanently or on a fixed-term contract for one company. You typically get:

• A regular salary
• Paid holidays and sick leave
• Pension contributions
• A more structured routine and defined role
• Support from managers and colleagues

In employment, tax is deducted before the money reaches your bank account by your employer, and you don’t have to worry about this. Being freelance, however, this is your responsibility through a yearly ‘self assessment‘. You can offset expenses against your income though, such as travel and office expenses relating to your work. You won’t have holiday pay, but can pick and choose your own schedule to suit your needs, and you won’t be restricted to somebody else’s schedule.

Which Is Right for You?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some creatives thrive on the freedom of freelancing, while others prefer the security of employment. Many people even do both—working a part-time job while freelancing on the side.

If you’re starting out, try both to see what suits your lifestyle, goals, and personality.

The UK’s creative industries are full of freelance opportunities, especially in design, media, marketing, and the arts. But freelancing requires hustle, organisation, and resilience. Whether you choose the freelance path, traditional employment, or a mix of both—it’s about finding the right fit for you.

Talk To Us

Interested in finding out more or have questions? Book a chat with us and we can help.

Find Creative Career Opportunities with the ERIC App

Breaking into the creative industry can be tough—but the ERIC app makes it easier.

ERIC is a free app designed to help young creatives discover job opportunities, internships, events, and resources tailored to the creative world. ERIC breaks the creative industries into 16 different subcategories, and tailors opportunities to you based on your location, interests, age, and more; providing a curated feed of local opportunities to help you to get your foot in the door.

Why Use ERIC?

• Creative Job Listings – From design to film, ERIC curates internships, freelance gigs, and entry-level roles just for creatives.
• Learning Resources – Get tips on CVs, portfolios, and navigating creative careers.
• Events & Workshops – Find talks, workshops, and networking events to build skills and connections.
• Career Discovery Tools – Not sure what role fits you? ERIC helps you explore and decide.

Whether you’re a student, graduate, or early-career creative, ERIC is your go-to platform for turning passion into a profession.

Find out more and get the app at www.meet-eric.com

RicNic are delighted to be an ERIC Ambassador

Crewe Performer & Creative Team Callout

We’re launching a brand new project in Crewe this February. Get involved and create a brand new show to be performed, all within the space of a month.

The Show In A Month project is your chance to explore creating a new show from scratch collaboratively. Every element of this show is yours to create. We hand you an empty stage, and you decide what to fill it with.

You’ll form a production team to stage the show, with a director, MD, choreographer, producer, and technical director. Then it’s over to you to work with a cast of performers in the room to collectively explore your ideas and bring a show to life from a blank canvas. It’s your show, your rules.

All rehearsals take place in and around Crewe (venue details to be confirmed). Performances take place at the Lyceum Theatre Studio, Crewe

Open to anybody aged 16-22

Signup now at https://forms.gle/gJZzYBBGDUuqYxPg9

New Year Arts Festival – Walsall

New Year Arts Festival took place on Saturday, 11th January 2025 at The Crossing at St Paul’s, Walsall.

Organised by young creatives aged 16–21 with support from RicNic, this vibrant festival was a free celebration of creativity and community, offering a wide range of activities for all ages.

The event featured storytelling, performances, an open mic, junk drumming, choir and dance workshops, crafts, and lots of cake!

This project was funded by UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund, with Walsall Council.

Casting Call for Hemmingway’s: A Murder Mystery Evening

We are looking for actors, singers, dancers and musicians to take part in our immersive murder mystery gala on the 24th January 2024. All applicants must be aged over 18 and available to attend rehearsals and performances on the 19th January (10am – 6pm) and 24th January (12pm to Midnight) in Birmingham.

If you are located outside of Birmingham and would like to take part but would face barriers to attend, please get in touch and we will discuss how we can support you.

Email [email protected] for more info.

Book now for RicNic’s Fundraising Gala

Hemmingway’s is an immersive fundraising event written, produced, and performed by RicNic Alumni, designed to be a night of twists, turns and lots of fun!

Throughout the course of the evening you will be introduced to a cast of quirky characters, one of whom is a murderer! Together with the cast, you’ll collect clues and solve the mystery together! Plus, you’ll be supporting the work that RicNic does!

This unique gala will be full of mystery, networking, and entertainment that brings together a diverse audience of creative professionals, art enthusiasts, and supporters.

Tickets include a drink on arrival and photography for you/your group, and all ticket sales support the future of RicNic.

Discounts apply for whole table bookings (10 people); perfect for a group of friends or a social event with colleagues.

Early-bird pricing applies until 8th December.

Limited tickets available, book now to avoid disappointment.

Friday 24th January, 7:30pm

The Old Library, Birmingham

Book Now

Join us for a workshop with Jodie Steele

We’re incredibly excited to welcome Jodie Steele to Burton this October Half Term.

Best known for playing Heather Chandler in the UK Off West End and West End premiere of Heathers in 2018, and Katherine Howard in the UK tour of Six, Jodie will be teaching routines from some of her past shows and answering questions about working in the ​performing arts.

Open to ages 13-20

Brewhouse Arts Centre, Staffordshire, DE14 1AA

 Wednesday 30th October, 12-3pm

Reserve your place: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ricnic

Walsall young people get involved with Hamilton stars!

A huge congratulations to our fantastic Walsall workshop company who took part in two days of creativity, collaboration and fun! Workshop participants created original pieces inspired by historically themed musicals, then performed their work for members of the Hamilton UK tour cast, before working on some Hamilton choreography. A big thank you to Hamilton cast members Sam Oladeinde & Simeon Beckett for leading the choreography workshop and giving an insight into the creative industry.

RicNic delivering free Youth Music Project in Crewe

Crewe Town Council is committed to delivering projects that help to raise the aspirations of young people in Crewe, allowing them to achieve their potential and develop interests in the arts and culture. This Youth Music Project has been designed to facilitate participation in a high-quality, creative activity and offer a valuable learning experience that supports local young talent.

RicNic are facilitating the running of this project, in which participants will be given the opportunity to gain experience in performance and music event production; from planning through to stage tech – for free!

A group of young people aged 16-24 will be supported to create a mini youth festival of music inspired by different genres and represented by song, dance and instrumental performances.

• Wednesday 17th July
• Crewe Market Hall
• Afternoon onwards

We welcome applications from individuals who will be assigned a group, or from existing groups (e.g. from a school, dance group, amateur theatre company, etc)

How will people get involved?

Young people in Crewe from a variety of different youth settings (including traditionally underserved groups) have been invited to get involved in the project. Three youth sub-teams will be responsible for the design, coordination, management and marketing of the event to showcase local young talent in a variety of ways.

The teams will also be responsible for identifying and programming the event’s acts and activities, which will be drawn from local schools, dance and drama groups, amateur societies and youth groups.

Primary and secondary school children within the Crewe town boundary will also have the opportunity of taking part in interactive workshops in the run up to the event to explore different musical genres and design decorations for the festival venue.

People of all ages will be welcome to take part in the event on the day and come together to support the performers and activities!

Sign up to take part

Creative Team Callouts: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12bVV95zildYjvRldWggWZWDV71i3CrqG/view?usp=share_link

Tech Team Callouts: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yFIUCDnQaIf5b9WxTpbdfLk4c4mJm8pi/view?usp=share_link

Join The RicNic Team

Thanks to recent new project funding, we are looking for two individuals to join our staff team on a temporary basis, helping to plan and deliver our work across the West Midlands, Staffordshire & Cheshire. If you are passionate about the arts & making a difference, we would love to hear from you.

Outreach Co-Ordinator

Hybrid Remote, Part time-Fixed Contract until March 2025
£24,232 FTE / 8 hours per week

The Outreach Co-ordinator will support the delivery of our creative projects across community and school settings in the coming months, leading the delivery of weekly sessions (Friday afternoons) and some school holiday sessions with some our young people, creative workshops in schools, co-ordinating our Community Art Days across local community settings and supporting the administrative planning, delivery and evaluation of our projects. The postholder required to be onsite for weekly, regular sessions in Walsall, West Midlands and able to travel to different workshop locations as and when required.
Full details here: https://www.artsjobs.org.uk/jobs/search/42026

Workshop Assistant

Onsite, Part time – Fixed Contract until December 2024
Up to £11.44 per hour – 2-4 hours per week

Our Workshop Assistant will support the delivery of our weekly drama/creative sessions (Friday afternoons 4pm-6pm) in Walsall during term time. There will be additional hours available to support full-day sessions with our young people during the summer holidays, creating play-in-a-day style workshops for different age groups and to support our Community Art Days which run on weekends or in school holidays across local community venues.

Full details here: https://www.artsjobs.org.uk/jobs/search/42027

RicNic embraces inclusivity, diversity and equal opportunities across our organisations and throughout our projects. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, ages perspectives and skills, who respect the views of our participants and the challenges they face. Together we are then able to promote a culture of understanding, learning and collaboration across generations.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.
To apply please send a CV and cover letter, or a video application telling us why you would like to be considered to the same email address.