Rates of Pay

This page details Creative Edinburgh’s rates of pay which apply to a wide range of freelance and short contract employment from consultancy work, project planning and development, to all aspects of workshop delivery (set up, execution, clear up) and other freelance activity.

Our rates of pay are developed in line with different unions including but not limited to Scottish Artists Union, ITC, and Creative Scotland recommendations. Our rates exclude the artist’s expenses for a specific project and are determined according to a project’s budget. We update our rates of pay annually to reflect the rise of inflation.

Day rates are based on a 7-hour day with a one-hour unpaid lunch break. Additional hours over 7 hours are paid at the Real Living Wage in Scotland which is currently £12 p/hour.

It is important to emphasise that these rates do not include VAT, Income Tax or National Insurance Contributions commitments. Self-employed freelancers are recommended to set aside 25% of their earnings to meet these commitments.

We have based our pay rates on industry rates and the following information has been used as a benchmark:

Current rates for 2024/25* (all including VAT):

  • Speakers: £50 p/hour, with some prep time covered ahead of the event. The programme manager will confirm the entire event's fee before speaker engagement.
  • Freelancers: £18 p/hour
  • Event performers (for the Summer Party & Creative Edinburgh Awards Ceremony): £150 for performing at the event, subject to negotiation depending on the type and length of performance. Additionally, we offer a free ticket to attend the entire event.
  • Creative Edinburgh Awards Stage Manager: £250 for the entire event, including a 30 minute briefing call ahead of the event.
  • Creative Edinburgh Awards Panellist: £100 for time spent reviewing applications, and attending a one-hour judging session with fellow panellists.
  • Focus group/consultation attendance: subject to budget availability

Please contact us directly at programme@creative-edinburgh.com, if you have any questions or comments.

Read more about fair rates of pay on our Resources page.

*Updated in March 2024