Playback: Being a Freelancer

24 Mar 2018

If tickets are sold out, you are encouraged to join the returns queue at the ICA Box Office on the day of the event. For free events there is a high chance you will gain entry, though we cannot guarantee a place. Fifteen minutes after Playback events begin, unclaimed tickets are distributed to waitlist customers and visitors present in the ICA foyer

How do you build a career as an artist while paying your bills? In this practical and interactive session, three artists discuss the pros, cons and practicalities of working freelance.

Get advice on managing your own finances, maintaining a healthy workload and building your brand and business. Directors Ashleigh Jadee, Iggy and Almass Badat are in conversation with Caroline Bottomley from the Shiny Awards.

Participants

Almass Badat

Born in London, Almass Badat spent the majority of her early childhood in Lusaka, Zambia, where she roots her inspiration to document within culture, nature and the arts. After returning to London to complete her BA Honors in English Literature, Badat now contributes to and manages a select number of projects.

Her work primarily explores sound, film and photography with altruistic focus. She offers creative consultancy to brands and individuals, and manages soul and house DJ Kirby Roseina. Credits include the British Council and BFI #fivefilmsforfreedom 2016 Global List, Hijra's Hustle, the 2015 One World Media funded short documentary tackling discrimination against India's transgender community, and Folasade for President, commissioned by the Roundhouse Film Fund. Badat has also produced The Den, and COME, her self-shot documentary, which screened at Peckham Festival 2017.
Caroline Bottomley

Caroline Bottomley is founder of the ground-breaking Shiny Awards for new music video and commercial directors, where all entries get industry feedback and where all shortlisted directors meet world-class production companies and ad agencies face to face. Prior to this, she founded and subsequently sold Radar Music Videos, an award-winning platform connecting up and coming creatives with music marketing commissioners.

Bottomley was an internationally recognised arts and music promoter at Sheffield venue The Leadmill. Among other things, she brought many US DJs over to the UK's burgeoning house music scene. She also worked in film and TV on a variety of award-winning documentaries and factual entertainment programmes.
Iggy

Iggy is a London-based artist and filmmaker interested in addressing the unspoken narratives within the younger generation. His short films have gained considerable popularity. His first film Black Boys Don't Cry received widespread attention following its premiere in 2016 - including a screening at the Tate Modern.

The film deconstructs the ideals of masculinity and manhood by the challenging restrictive ideals around what it means to be a man. It has strong focus on the delusion that men must always be strong, aggressive and show no emotion. Following on from the film, Iggy LDN has been featured on Channel 4 and has been invited to speak at a number of institutions including University Arts London (UAL), University College London (UCL) and Ravensbourne.
Ashleigh Jadee

Having grown up in London, Ashleigh Jadee discovered filmmaking at college, and from the time she picked up a camera she knew what she wanted to do.She started to self-shoot and edit, filming content for artists such as Jasmine Thompson, Big Sean, French Montana, Rita Ora, Tinie Tempah, Tyga, Iggy Azalea, Mac Miller and more. This led to her filming performance music videos for online platforms such as Linkup TV and GRM Daily.

Jadee has also produced content for brands and artist such as Beats by Dre, Luxoticca, Skepta, Stormzy, G Frsh, BET UK and more, but always felt most at home in the director's chair. She is currently working at Prettybird UK where she is developing her creativity and directing portfolio.