“Artists’ Union England is a way to name our community and counter its supposed tacit disparities, competitiveness – its presumed individualistic imperatives. To unionise is vital – now more than ever, when division proliferates with a speed and rapaciousness that can seem to utterly retard resistance. The way we can survive – the way we can all thrive – is together”
– Ed Atkins, artist and AUE member
Artists’ Union England is a new trade union for professional visual, and applied artists and artists with a socially engaged practice. Unlike other cultural professionals, artists have had no collective voice in the form of a trade union, to represent them at work and to lobby and advocate on their behalf.
As an independent trade union, we aim to represent artists at strategic decision-making levels and positively influence the degree to which practice is valued and the roles artists play within society. For example, view our democratically agreed ‘Rates of Pay’ document here.