Learning to talk about money and shift perceptions that support us, help us to communicate effectively and live abundantly
“The workshop was incredibly confidence building and empowering as a self-employed artist.”
Participant, Movement Connects (2024)
A Series of Workshops
Empowering Freelancers in Finance
The mission of these workshops is to empower freelancers through knowledge sharing about money management, financing a freelance career, negotiating fair pay contracts, and how to discover one’s value and potential for earning by being clear with and creative about their earnings, spendings, savings and vision. We look at mindset (moving from lack/scarcity to abundance/prosperity) and cover tips and tools for gaining agency over our finances both now and for the future.
The workshops are available for up to 25 artists per workshops. They are hired out, hosted and paid for by organisations that support artists so that the costs for the freelancer are kept very low or made free to the organisations members.
Partners have included One Dance UK, Norwich Theatre Royal, Move Dance Feel and Movement Connects
Aims
- educate and empower freelance dance artists and creatives to becoming more literate about their finances
- promote greater wellbeing so dance artists and creatives can have more sustainable careers
- support efforts and challenge perceptions around money, value and worth
- open up greater opportunities for growth professionally and personally
“I felt more confident & reassured & connected to other artists going through similar things.”
Artist participant, 2024
Content
I offer a series of three 90-minute workshops that can be delivered back-to-back in one day, across several days or over a longer period of time. Sessions can be delivered online or in person as one-offs or as a series. Participants will be given exercises to explore their relationship to earning and spending, handouts and examples of ways to keep numbers, create spreadsheets and track in/out goings. In the series assigned tangible actions will be given to the participant to take with them, build on and return with for the following session. There will be time for group discussion, writing and reflecting. Relevant resources and outside support will be shared that is relevant to the material covered.
Up to 25 participants per workshop. Ideally, participants will attend all three workshops (if a series) to get maximum benefit yet there may be flexibility to accommodate those who can only attend individual sessions. The costs for the workshops series are to be covered by an organisation or institution allowing free access for the creative participant.
Values
- Clarity
- Equity
- Transparency
Principles
- Practicing the values of the project to all business matters, interactions and transactions
- Consciously staying in line with values
- Purposefully adding value to the freelance dance sector through passing on gifts
- Renumeration of labour
“The presentation of ideas was wonderfully relatable, relaxed and informal.”
Participant, One Dance UK (London, 2024)
Fees for Workshops (online and in person) and Webinars
Organisation sponsored Single Workshop in-person or online
£427/€510/$552
These costs are for organisations hosting the workshop. Travel expenses not included for in-person workshops
Organisation sponsored Series of 3 workshops in-person or online
£1282/€1532/$1658
These costs are for organisations hosting the workshop. Travel not included for in-person
Organisation sponsored Webinar
£585/€679/$750
Experience
Through these workshops I offer a unique perspective through my lived experience of working as a freelance dancer and choreographer for 38 years across the US, UK, EU and SE Asia. During that time I have directed my own company and worked across the sectors of culture, commerce, government and education. My career as a freelance creative has brought abundance and times of lack (the up and down cycle of freelancing).
I also have encountered poor behaviour around labour rights, conditions and pay and in 2012 wrote the now well-known Open Letter to Artists , a call for freelance dance artists to unite for more fair working and pay conditions and to say ‘no’ to poor paying clients and potentially abusive situations. As an activist I went on to serve on the Equity UK Dance Committee (2017-2022) and was Chair of the committee in 2022 seeing freelance dancers through the pandemic and supporting members with issues of unemployment and finances.
Working as an advisor and mentor with freelance dance artists to make successful funding bids and develop their career and vision has been incredibly fulfilling for me. I also work as a consultant with arts organizations such as Dance East and Trinity Laban and serves as a funding reviewer for Arts Council England. As a leader in dance I serve as Trustee on the board of Dancers’ Career Development, have been a mentor to Museums Development on EDI action plan implementation and an advisor to Move Dance Feel, a charity brining dance to women affected by cancer.
I promote ecological thinking and ways the freelance dance artists is interdependent (not independent) of systems within the sector. My research is on the transferable skills of dance artists and dance as a relational practice (it is all about how we relate human to human) and am a specialist on dance in the museum as a tool for institutional change. Over the last 10 years I have sought out and built a support system for myself to gain knowledge through financial know-how and practiced tools learned through the years. I work with a financial coach, financial advisor and accountant and have been successful in paying off debt, saving for my future and living solvently while aiming towards abundance. I want to share this knowledge with other fellow freelance dance artists and creatives through this bespoke offer.
Please reach out for a chat or for more information. I look forward to working with you to supporting dance artists to thrive in their career and to live fulfilling lives within their means.
“I felt a sense of achievement in dedicating time and attention to thinking about my financial planning. I learnt some concrete tips and made some really actionable steps and connected with others.”
Participant, Movement Connects (Norwich, 2024)
Sara Wookey/Wookey Works is not regulated by the FCA. I do not offer regulated financial advice. I offer mentoring, coaching support and guidance so that you are empowered to make your own personal financial decisions. For specific financial advice, please refer to an independent financial advisor.
Previous workshops have been hosted by:
