It’s an age-old argument, and that’s precisely why we must keep fighting it. Artists cannot work for free.
At this past weekend’s Logie awards, honoring achievement in Australian television, Kylie Minogue made the headlines twice. First, for releasing her latest single “I Was Gonna Cancel” with a well delivered live performance. Second, for exploiting backup dancers who would be receiving less than the minimum acceptable pay.
A total of 30 dancers were on stage with Kylie during her Logie performance. The artist tweeted “OF COURSE all were paid…”, but the question is, how much? According to Actors Equity Australia director Sue McCreadie, the dancers were to receive $700 for the performance, including rehearsals and other time spent in preparation for the televised and recorded event. That’s a whopping $456 below the industry standard for this kind of gig.
Furthermore, dancers on the Melbourne set of Kylie’s video for the same single were not only not to be paid the minimum for a full day’s work, they weren’t to be paid at all. Some dancers were recruited specifically for the shoot, receiving the message, “Full day shoot with Kylie Minogue, unpaid but great opportunity and fun”, while others received a similar message forwarded to them through their talent agencies and reading as follows:
Why is it that we, as a society, still find it ok not to pay creative workers? The company issuing the recruitment call for the two Kylie jobs was LA-based, global video company Welcome to Cult. Are we really to believe that a company of this scale, employed by an artist with massive worldwide success, is working on such a tight budget that it can’t afford to pay the workers it recruits? And even if this were the case, why should they be allowed to ask for volunteer workers instead of, oh, I don’t know, changing the concept for the performance or video? Let it also be known that Pharrell Williams was producing the “I Was Gonna Cancel” video which was choreographed by Sydney Dance Company’s Rafael Bonachela, and you can bet they weren’t working for free.
The problem of unpaid workers is a plague. From dancers, to musicians, to writers, and even now to those outside the arts world and who work as unpaid interns or in the highly unregulated world wide web, too many people are expected to work without receiving a penny. Artists especially are not in this for charity, though many do donate time and effort to important causes, but to make an honest career out of their passion. Exposure doesn’t buy groceries. Fun doesn’t pay the rent.
What is most disturbing about the Kylie situation is that a number of the dancers were handpicked for the job, but were still not deemed worthy of pay. Like the street performers along busy tourist strips in all the world’s biggest cities, we couldn’t imagine the experience without them, but how many of us pay them decently in recognition of our appreciation for their work, and how many of us simply walk passed, eyes bowed as we consume their productions and give nothing in return?
A number of dancers more experienced in the professional world rejected the Kylie “job offers” and called out the attempt at exploitation by contacting Actors Equity and firing up a Twitter storm under the hashtag #paythedancers. Following the outcry, negotiations between the hiring company and Actors Equity have so far led to the agreement that all involved should be paid for their work depending on the classification of their contribution. Experienced dancers will receive more than inexperienced dancers who in turn will receive more than extras, with wages ranging from $174 to $448 for the video shoot and up to $1156 for the Logies performance. All payments are expected to be made by the end of this week, but nothing is finalized.
Beyond the employers who circulate postings for jobs that offer no pay, those who accept those jobs are equally at fault for perpetuating the devaluation of their work. Many are often lured into jobs with less-than-desirable remuneration because of the unproductive thinking that if they don’t take the job, somebody else will. In a global economy where employers can use currency exchanges to their advantage, the situation is even more dire. The solution is obvious, if utopian. The worth of work should be reflected in the pay, and job seekers should not settle for less than their worth. And here’s hoping I need never write another article on this topic… Unless I’m being properly paid for it!
Image copyright Channel 9
Dance Profiler 
Well said. Although I think street performers for the most part are a bit of a different case. Unless they were hired for promotional purposes, they choose a stage that forces their art on people so as far as im concered they can’t necessarily expect “fair” compensation. I’m not saying what they do is bad, I personally do enjoy a lot of the street art I encounter, I’m not sure they are owed anything the way a hired dancer is.
On the subject of underpaid hired dancers and other performers, lets not forget how well most professional athletes are paid. I guess our society values sports more than the arts…not so lucky for us.
I chose a career in dance knowing I’d never made a ton of money. In fact, I’ve joked on numerous occaisions with people about how you have to do what you love to be happy, regardless of the pay. I’m glad I read your article because it made me realize I had accepted my careers reputation as a low income one and althought I’m not expecting to make as much money as Michael Flatley, I will negociate my fair worth in the future. Its one thing, as you mentioned, to do certain probono projects and collaborations but you don’t get what you don’t ask for and as long as we don’t ask (all together) we’re the ones setting the low standard for ourselves.
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