Keen to shape AUE's priorities? Register now to attend our AGM! Sun 20th Sept 11.00am - 1.00pm Members can submit proposals for discussion, and proposals agreed at the AGM will inform the work of the Executive Committee over the next year.

Our Executive Committee and union staff recently came together for an away day to reflect, plan and prepare for the months ahead. The day focused on our upcoming AGM, strengthening how we work together as a union, and developing the motions we'll be taking to this year's TUC Congress.

Our Annual General Meeting is where members come together to hear updates, vote on decisions, and shape what the union does next. It’s a space to ask questions, share ideas, and make sure the union reflects the needs of artists like you.

Could you be our new Treasurer? AUE is looking for someone organised, trustworthy, and passionate about supporting artists to join our Executive Committee as Treasurer. What will you do? - Oversee finances and budgets - Keep records clear and transparent - Help shape the future of AUE

Insurance isn’t exciting or glamorous. But it is absolutely necessary. And when you join AUE, it’s included in the price of your membership - just £4 a month.

Unpaid fees, unsafe working conditions, a broken contract, discrimination, sudden changes at work, or arguing over pay? When you join Artists’ Union England, you gain access to experienced caseworkers who will support you in defending your rights to fair pay, respect, and good working conditions.

Today, as thousands gathered for the 140th Durham Miners' Gala, we celebrated the enduring power of collective action. The Gala is more than a celebration of history. It reminds us that every right won and every community defended begins with people standing together.

Join Artists’ Union England on Saturday 11th July at the 140th Durham Miners' Gala! AUE members will be marching together and carrying our banner with pride - join us for this fantastic celebration of trade unionism, community spirit and international solidarity.

2,500 members. And growing. Thank you to every artist who has joined AUE and helped strengthen our fight for fair pay, dignity, access and sustainable futures. Here's to growing our voice, our solidarity and our impact.

Artists’ Union England sends solidarity to everyone attending this year’s TUC LGBT+ Conference. We stand with LGBT+ workers, trade unionists and activists in the fight for equality, dignity and justice.

Artists and creative workers are facing immense pressure and financial precarity, yet they continue to enrich communities, drive local growth, and sustain the country’s cultural fabric.

Are you attending the Durham Miners’ Gala on Saturday 11 July, and would you be interested in marching with an AUE bloc? The 140th Gala is a major celebration of trade unionism, community and solidarity, with banners and brass bands marching through Durham.

Invoice overdue? You have the legal right to charge a late payment fee. Under UK law, businesses can charge statutory interest on late payments at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate for business-to-business transactions.

The last few weeks has seen a concerted, racist smear campaign against Misan Harriman, seeking to unseat him from his role as Director of the Arts Council-funded Southbank Centre due to his principled anti-racist commitment to Palestine solidarity.

Marking the appointment of Dawn Airey as the new Chair of Arts Council England, Artists Union England reiterates our call on ACE to uphold the arm’s length principle and refuse government interference in its decision making.

We created our rates of pay guidelines to help artists at every stage of their career know what to charge - not just for their time, but for the full value of their work. Use these guidelines to set fair rates and break down your fees confidently.

Did you know you can pay your union subs monthly? For just £4 a month you’ll have access to the support of our dedicated caseworker whenever issues at work arise, access to 30mins of free legal advice, and automatically get £5m Public and Products Liability Insurance.

so to mark World Environment Day we’re sharing a few quotes from our HeartUnions Week Grand Tour speech. Find the full speech here: www.artistsunionengland.org.uk/speech-at-heartunions-week-grand-tour/ #artistsunionengland #worldenvironmentday #sustainability #AI #unionstrong #solidarity

A just world for all is one in which we all take hold of the responsibility to care for the environment. AUE campaigns for sustainable futures, equality, respect and access in every aspect of life and work,

Behind every artist-run space, community exhibition, local workshop, open studio, creative campaign, and mutual aid project is someone giving their time to make it happen. This Volunteers' Week, we're celebrating the artists who don't just make art -

Pride began as protest. And that spirit is as vital as ever. This Pride Month, Artists’ Union England stands in solidarity with LGBTQ+ artists and communities everywhere.

For artists, the fight for both has become impossible to ignore. Over 72% of surveyed AUE members earned less than £20,000 annually. 79% said they do not earn enough from their art practice to live on. Artists deserve survival and creative lives.

“Bread” = survival. Rent, heating, food, pensions, stable income, a secure place to live and work. “Roses” = everything that makes life worth living. Time to create, community, culture, experimentation, joy.

3 DAYS LEFT to sign the petition calling the UK government to rejoin Creative Europe. Creative Europe support international collaboration, exhibitions, residencies and vital funding opportunities for artists across Europe.

There’s something powerful about artists coming together simply to listen, reflect, and support one another. A huge thank you to those who attended our recent Artists’ Support Cuppa and to Nell Croose Myhill for facilitating such a thoughtful Ways of Working session.

Standing up to a large organisation on your own can feel overwhelming and isolating. But as one of 2,400 union members, you’re never alone - you have strength in solidarity.

What does it really mean to be a self-employed artist right now? For the majority, it means low pay, unstable income, and a system that expects artists to carry the weight of multiple roles just to get by.

96.4% of AUE members surveyed earned less than the UK median annual wage of £35,004 for the 2022/23 tax year. We urge all artists to use our rates of pay guidelines, which outline half-day and full-day rates for artists of all levels of experience.

We are calling out misogyny, sexual harassment, and the ongoing impact of gender stereotyping - especially for women in precarious, self-employed work who are often left without protection. We’ve heard the stories before - What we need is action, better protections and meaningful change.

It’s International Workers’ Day and we’re celebrating the hands, minds, and voices that make art possible. To every artist and art worker: your labor has value. Your voice matters. Our solidarity is power. Art isn’t just passion - it’s work. And it deserves to be respected, protected, and paid.