Norwich Theatre Appoints Dr. Laura Crossley to Lead Freelancer Review

Dr. Laura Crossley has been appointed by Norwich Theatre to lead a major programme of work exploring how cultural organisations can better support and engage the freelance workforce that powers the UK's creative industries.

The appointment marks the next phase of Norwich Theatre's commitment to fair and sustainable freelance practice, first announced as part of its Creative Intent 2026-2032 strategy. The organisation will now begin a comprehensive review of how freelancers experience working with Norwich Theatre, with the findings informing a new Freelance Charter, improved organisational practices, and a model of engagement that could help shape wider sector conversations.

Freelancers make up around 70% of the theatre workforce, yet many face growing financial insecurity, inconsistent working practices and uncertain career prospects. Recent sector research found that nearly half of performing arts freelancers earn below the National Living Wage, while around 70% feel insecure about their future in the industry.

Against this backdrop, Norwich Theatre is bringing together freelancers, staff and sector partners to examine what genuinely good freelance engagement can look like in practice.

Working on a freelance consultancy basis through to the end of the year, Dr. Laura Crossley will lead research and consultation across the organisation, engaging both freelance practitioners and staff to identify opportunities for improvement and co-create future approaches to freelance engagement. The work will include the development of a renewed Freelance Charter alongside recommendations for communication, commissioning, wellbeing, learning and organisational practice.

Sam Dawson, Assistant Director of Impact and Engagement at Norwich Theatre, said: 'When we launched our new strategy, we made a commitment to strengthening how we work with freelancers. This appointment is an important step in turning that commitment into action.

'Freelancers are central to the success of Norwich Theatre and to the future of our sector. As expectations around fair working practices, workforce sustainability and artist development continue to evolve, we want to ensure our approach is ambitious, practical and shaped by the people with lived experience of freelance working.'

A specialist in organisational culture, leadership, workforce development and wellbeing, Dr. Laura Crossley is known for her research into burnout in the cultural sector and her work supporting organisations to create healthier, more sustainable working environments. Alongside her consultancy practice, she has extensive experience as a freelancer across the arts and heritage sectors and was a Clore Fellow in 2023/24.

For Norwich Theatre, the work forms part of a wider ambition to ensure artistic excellence and public value go hand in hand, while helping strengthen the resilience of the cultural workforce on which the sector depends.

Dr. Laura Crossley said: 'I'm really excited to be working with Norwich Theatre on this project. As an experienced cultural sector freelancer, I understand the vital contribution freelancers make to the sector and the challenges that can come with freelance working, including financial instability, career insecurity, and inequitable practices.

'I'm hugely inspired by Norwich Theatre's ambitions for this work. It's an opportunity to listen carefully to freelancers and in-house staff, look afresh at how freelance engagement works across the organisation, and turn that learning into practical and lasting organisational change.

'I'm also excited by Norwich Theatre's desire to share what we learn. There is a real opportunity for this work to contribute to wider thinking about what genuinely good and sustainable freelance practice can look like and how theatres and other cultural organisations can support freelancers to thrive.”