On the 1st of May, Freelancer Club is launching its first international location in New York City. We’re starting small, focusing on photographers, models and hair/makeup artists within the Brooklyn area, before gradually branching out to the rest of the city and beyond. We decided to start in Brooklyn thanks to its vibrant creative scene, full of exceptional creative individuals who are feeling disconnected and undervalued. Those we spoke to highlighted the need for a community platform such as the Freelancer Club to help them facilitate connections in a more meaningful way.

Whilst the numbers of female freelancers have been steadily rising since 2008, they still make up less than half of the UK’s freelance workforce. But it’s not enough to simply have more women in the workplace. Over 46% of women found that freelancing proved to be more of a challenge than they expected - with the figures showing a pattern of unique issues plaguing the female entrepreneurs attempting to advance their freelance careers. What are these issues and why are there still so many?

Mike Hogan from A List Photography has always been fascinated by world records. After seeing the call on The Freelancer Club, he jumped at the chance to document Edward Draper’s recent Guinness World Record attempt to be the fastest team of two to hang up ten items of clothing.

Despite numerous challenges, more women than ever before are choosing to start their own businesses as a way to fight back against their workplace troubles. But why is freelancing the better option for these women?

It’s a well-known fact that setting up your own business is hard. However, this process is often ten times harder for entrepreneurs with a migrant background thanks to the additional challenges caused by a language or culture barrier. However, help is at hand. A new program in the South West and West Midlands aims to help support third country nationals run their own businesses in the UK

I recently took a look at how the make-up, hair and beauty industry recovered post-Covid. While that sector experienced a surprisingly positive upswing after 2 years of lockdowns, forced closures and social distancing measures, other industries weren’t as lucky. Every year, IPSE, the UK’s only not-for-profit association for the self-employed, and Kingston University take a look at the demographic and occupational trends for the self-employed in the UK. By comparing the annual reports from 2019, 2020 and 2021, we can see the real impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on freelance workers.

More people than ever before have chosen to centre their lives around their career. Previously, this role would have been filled by community institutions like religion, sports or even the pub! As our jobs place increasingly more demands on our time; these outlets are falling by the wayside, leaving only the office to provide us with the sense of meaning we crave. And now, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken this from us as well! As we attempt to make sense of our lives and seek direction, could the answer be found in freelancing?

We all know that forging a career in the creative industries isn’t easy in this country, despite Britain’s storied cultural reputation. New research highlights an interesting picture of class diversity within the UK’s creative sector, suggesting that if you’re not from a privileged background, you’re even less likely to make it. But why might that be?