Payment of artists

Creative Australia affirms the principle that artists should be paid for their work and earn income from copyright and royalties. We recognise that underpayment and non-payment affect artists’ incomes and career sustainability.

Creative Australia expects that artists professionally employed or engaged on Creative Australia-funded activities will be paid for their work.  We consider the payment of artists to be integral to effective budgeting and planning, and we require information on artists’ payment to be available within funding applications.

In 2023, a new division of Creative Australia called Creative Workplaces was established. Their role is to promote and enable fair, safe and respectful workplaces in the arts and culture sector, including by providing information about rights and obligations relating to pay.  We encourage you to connect with Creative Workplaces to stay informed.

Industrial laws, agreements and standards

Creative Australia notes that there are industrial laws, awards and agreements that apply to employment.

Legally binding industrial awards and agreements that set pay scales and conditions include those monitored by the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA).

There are also industry benchmarks to guide rates of pay for work and copyright. Arts industry organisations that have recommended appropriate industry standards, include:

• the Australian Writers’ Guild
• The Australian Production Design Guild
• the Australian Society of Authors
• the National Association for the Visual Arts. have recommended appropriate industry standards.

Where an industry standard clearly applies, applicants are expected to meet those rates of pay.