HOW TO START

So... I have tried a thousand times to come up with an appropriate research question. Every time I think I have one nailed on I read a piece of literature and my mind completely changes again. 

What I do know is I want to talk about unpaid work within the performing arts industry, Specifically looking at new graduates who have taken part in unpaid work and what their perspectives of it are now.

During a focus group for module 2 we discussed unpaid work. below are some questions people mentioned they thought about before partaking in unpaid work:

•  are you being exploited in someway?
• Self awareness- do you understand what you are partaking in?
• how does unpaid work mentally effect you if you have to work a normal 9-5 at the same time to fund it?
• it doesn't seem acceptable in other industries, so why is acceptable in ours?
• would they pay someone else in the cast who had more experience? if they would why would they not pay you if you are doing the same job?
• will it benefit you career in anyway?

one thing is very clear, there is unpaid work within the arts industry because of supply and demand. performers are desperate just for the chance to be on stage, gain knowledge and work with people they wouldn't of had the opportunity to work with otherwise. 

BUT after partaking in unpaid work do graduates perceptions change?

Its easy for me to say that I think something bad because of the experiences I have had with it. I think unpaid work is unfair, exploitative and creates a divide between people who can afford to do it and people who can't.

However that is a bias. SO I want to know how other people view unpaid work.

Having looked at literature the first clear theme I've found is exploitation and peoples views on exploitation:

(O Brook 2020) Thus, we conclude that the stratification of unpaid work according to social origin means that unpaid work is experienced as creative freedom for those with resources; for the rest it is exploitation.”

(S Siebert 2013) 59% of people on the survey answered that unpaid work is exploitative but many still believes ‘this is how things are done’. 

Despite this I want to know creatives positive perceptions of unpaid work which there doesn't seem to be much literature on.

I would love peoples opinions on this blog, what you think of my range of inquiry at the moment and what possible route you would go down with yours. Because right now I have NO idea.

Thanks!

References: 

  Brook, O., O’Brien, D. and Taylor, M. (2020) ‘“There’s No Way That You Get Paid to Do the Arts”: Unpaid Labour Across the Cultural and Creative Life Course’, Sociological Research Online, 25(4), pp. 571–588. doi: 10.1177/1360780419895291.

Siebert, S., and Wilson, F. (2013) All work and no pay: consequences of unpaid work experience in the creative industries. Work, Employment and Society, 27 (4). pp. 711-721. ISSN 0950-0170