Finance is an essential and important element with any project, programme, or event including those within the creative sector. Below you can find relevant information related budgeting and and paying creative practitioners. 

Information on pay rates for creative practitioners and what you will need to pay freelance creative practitioners providing services to the University of Exeter. 

Paying Creative Practitioners 

Useful information on best practice for budgeting for creative projects, including a budgeting excel template and ideas of how to cut costs.  

Budgeting 

Finance 

### Can't find what you're looking for? 
Get in touch with the team and let us know, we still may be able to help you: [artsandculture@exeter.ac.uk](mailto:artsandculture@exeter.ac.uk)

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Many creative practitioners are sole traders. They are running a business and have to make a living like all of us. When commissioning artists, offer a fee which matches the level of skills and experience required to carry out the project you want them to do. It’s a good idea to advertise the fee as part of a call-out to artists, so they are clear about what the pay is before applying for a commission.

To help with cashflow, pay them promptly, and consider milestone payments along the duration of a project, to pay for sections of the commission completed and to recognise that they may have to pay in advance for expenses and materials.


Introduction 

# How much should I pay a creative practitioner?
Rates of pay can vary depending on artform.  Here some points of reference:

How much should I pay creative practitioners?

Paying creative practitioners - helpful links 

# What’s the University’s process for paying a creative practitioner?

In order pay a creative practitioner efficiently, it is useful to familiarise yourself with the University’s finance procedures for paying a supplier for services.

In principle, there are a series of forms you will need to complete to prove that a creative practitioner is deemed to be self-employed.  This is to satisfy HMRC requirements. [You can find out more information on the University's employment webpag](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/staff/employment/tempworkers/selfemployed/selfemployed/)e. We recommend that you particularly read the section regarding IR35 process, which includes a useful flow chart.

The University Finance team recommends that you complete any required forms two weeks prior to the contract starting, to ensure prompt payment.

In order to help you complete the various forms, we recommend that as soon as you have selected the successful creative practitioner to undertake a commission, you ask them for the following information:

- Full name
- Name of business if different
- Address of business
- Business telephone number
- Business email address
- Whether their business is VAT registered
- Self-employment status (sole-trader, partnership, limited company etc). 


Creative practitioners 

For helpful guidance through the financial processes of setting up payments for creative
practitioners at the University, we recommend that you contact the University’s Finance Helpdesk:

__Phone:__ 01392 72(6981)
__Email:__ [FinanceHelpdesk@exeter.ac.uk](mailto:FinanceHelpdesk@exeter.ac.uk) 
__Quick Teams Screenshare:__ [book here](https://outlook.office365.com/book/FinanceHelpdesk@UniversityofExeterUK.onmicrosoft.com/?ae=true&login_hint)

Ending paragraph 

See our 'Budgeting' guide 

See our 'Commissioning a Creative Practitioner' guide 


Useful Links 

Once you have decided to put on an exhibition or an event, budget is one of the first things to consider. 

You may already have a budget, or you may need to seek additional funding from an external source. 

With many arts projects, if you have a flexible approach, you can usually bring your project to fruition, but your budget will determine if it is the basic model, the deluxe model, or somewhere in between.  So don’t be put off if you only have a small budget – it’s all about adjusting your plans to fit. 

Write down all the aspects of the event or exhibition that you will need to consider, to bring it to fruition. See our guide to [Planning an Exhibition](https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/resources/get-creative/planning-an-exhibition) and [Planning an Event or Workshop](https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/resources/get-creative/planning-a-workshop) to help you list these. 

Ask around and get quotes for items you have listed eg venue hire, catering, printing, accommodation for speakers, technicians, etc until you can find something that can fit your budget.  You may need to consider a smaller venue, less printing or a smaller panel of speakers, but hopefully you can still make it happen.  However, it’s best to know these things at an early stage. 

Introduction

Ways of minimising budget in an arts-related project

### Keeping an eye on your budget 

Use a spreadsheet to note what you have budgeted for each element in your planned event or exhibition.  Note down every item spent against each element and make sure you don’t exceed it.  If you have to, you may have to readjust another element downwards.   


Budget

### Contingency 

It is always a good idea to build around a 10% contingency in your budget, for the unforeseen. 

Contingency

### Template budget sheets 
If you are University staff, you can access and download templates for the following via our Sharepoint. Please note you will need your University login to do so.

- [Access a template budget sheet for an exhibition. ](https://universityofexeteruk.sharepoint.com/:x:/s/ArtsandCulture/ESf0JYtyLjNGh8KTF-E0P_wBX7ocBeS7zb9kqA4w8wgLlQ?e=COciVO)
- [Access template budget sheet for an event.](https://universityofexeteruk.sharepoint.com/:x:/s/ArtsandCulture/Ee02DoMok7xCrUU9aXk5JOQBd4n1mxjkPgoST4ZzhHsc7Q?e=fAmEpn) 

Templates 

Budgeting

[View our Guide to Paying Creative Practitioners](https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/resources/get-creative/paying-creative-practitioners)

For University of Exeter staff and students only. Your University login will be required to access these templates. 
Template Budget Sheet for an Exhibition 
[Template Budget Sheet for an Event](https://universityofexeteruk.sharepoint.com/:x:/s/ArtsandCulture/Ee02DoMok7xCrUU9aXk5JOQBd4n1mxjkPgoST4ZzhHsc7Q?e=fAmEpn) 
