Creative Rights Alliance launches Pay the Creator campaign

The Creators’ Rights Alliance (CRA) has launched a campaign called Pay the Creator, calling for people to be paid professionally and promptly. 

The alliance is made up of 24 members and partner organisations including the Society of Authors, the Association of Authors’ Agents, the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society and Writers Guild of Great Britain. The campaign will work to ensure that creators are paid for the work they do, on time and reflecting their contributions, skills and worth, and are recognised for the contribution they make to the creative industries, the UK’s economy, and wellbeing.  

The CRA is asking groups to download the Pay the Creator logo and use it on websites and email signatures, link campaigns to the CRA website and share the #PayTheCreator hashtag to link it to their campaigns for better practice, also calling out good and bad examples of payment and contract practices. Organisations can pledge their support to the campaign here. 

Nicola Solomon, chief executive of the Society of Authors and CRA chair, said: “It is always unacceptable to expect creators to receive ‘exposure’ or ‘experience’ in place of payments, but this has become especially prevalent throughout the pandemic. Our creative freelances are a key cornerstone of our economy, providing important creativity, knowledge, and expertise.  

“Without them our books, films, magazines, television, film, theatre and music venues would be empty, devoid of content. They have been dismissed far too long as irrelevant and unimportant to those who use their services and work, as well as to policy decision makers. This must stop. Pay the Creator brings together CRA member campaigns and the work they do tirelessly championing creators’ working rights.”