The information below has been taken directly from text supplied by the Scottish Artists Union...
  

Why you need to join the
Scottish Artists Union

In 1999, the new Scottish Executive had this to say in their National Cultural Strategy:

"The Scottish Executive aims to encourage and value individual artists and creators. Those working in these sectors require an appropriate range of opportunities to make a reasonable living and to benefit from good working conditions."
 

Yet consider these facts:

• In a recent survey, visual artists showed the second highest percentage of all art forms for both registered unemployment in the previous 12 months and having a period of unemployment over the previous 5 years
• In the category of average number of weeks of unemployment in the last year, visual artists scored highest with an average of 30 weeks
• 67% earned less than a third of total income from artistic activity, and only 19% earned more than 2/3rds of their income from art
• A staggering 82% of visual artists earned £5,000 per year (gross) or less from their artistic activity
• 92% visual artists earned £10,000 (gross) or less from artistic activity
• 29% earned nothing at all from making art.

Clearly, visual artists in Scotland are getting a raw deal. The Scottish Artists Union's mission therefore is to fight for investment in the artist before "the arts".
 

The SAU is the first new union of the 21st century. Formally constituted in May 2001, the Scottish Artists Union immediately set out to improve the working conditions of artists practising in Scotland, and raise awareness of their contribution to public life and the economy.  The SAU is open to any visual or applied artist resident in Scotland, as well as those working in art management. The SAU aims to be truly representative of the range of disciplines and geographical spread of those producing visual art in Scotland.  The SAU:

• Lobbies on behalf of the artist
• Protects and extends artists rights
• Negotiates a wide range of benefits that exceed the cost of membership

The SAU has achieved an enormous amount in the last two years.  One of the SAU's biggest achievements has been the first in a series of Rates of Pay Documents. Focusing on residencies and short term contracts to local councils, health organisations and the like, the document's recommendations for equitable minimum rates of pay are now under consideration by COSLA (Council of Scottish Local Authorities) as a policy making tool.

In October 2002 the Union Executive had a summit meeting with Mike Watson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.  This marked the beginning of an ongoing dialogue with the Scottish Executive.  The SAU remains in discussion with the Scottish Arts Council, as well as other organisations such as the STUC, ACE, AN and NAA, all in the interests of ensuring that Scotland¹s visual artists are always on the agenda.
 

In 2003, the SAU's Executive embarked on a nation-wide roadshow of informal surgeries, to meet with artists across Scotland and listen to the issues
that concern them most.   The Executive has also devised a new website, designed to serve as an invaluable resource of information for all its members.

Future challenges for the SAU will include garnering blanket public liability insurance for its members.  Insurance is the number one issue raised by new members: it is worth noting that Glasgow City Council now insist that artists or arts workers provide their own public liability insurance cover for up to £2 million!
 

The SAU is also in the process of drawing up a Standard Contract that SAU artists could use when working with galleries and clients, and rigorously investigating contract issues in general, as well as several issues pertaining to the taxation of artists.

The SAU's new website was launched to coincide with its third annual conference at DCA on Saturday the 21st June 2003.  For further information on the Union¹s work, and how to join, go to www.SAU.org.uk