Jenny Williams

Why did you decide to become a freelancer?

I set up my consultancy Take the Space in 2006 with a very clear vision to promote race equity in the cultural sector. Back then, I had noted a gap in practice and wanted my work to make a lasting and positive impact.

My freelance journey hasn’t been linear – I was freelance for a number of years, then I stopped to lead an NPO for five years, and then returned to freelancing again. I think this has given me a unique perspective, in that I bring an understanding of the very real challenges and opportunities of leading an organisation.

What would you say are the benefits of working in a museum consultancy rather than in a museum?

Race equity has been my passion and purpose for all these years, so I really enjoy being able to work in so many different settings with so many unique organisations.

Since 2020, our collective understanding and ambition for this work has changed so the work has become much more nuanced – it’s been a real privilege to be able to navigate this change with so many different organisations in size, range, scale and cultural leadership.

The work feels more like an exchange with all of my varying clients, and it’s joyous to see so much great work happening all over the country. I have also been able to see museums’ needs close-up, and as a consultancy I have been able to put together programmes that respond to real, live issues.

How has the cost of living affected freelancing in the sector?

The cost of living crisis comes on top of the major changes of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, so it feels like we are living through a series of events that has changed us all. For me, I have noticed that the crisis is impacting on budgets and in-house capacity – the will is there to implement race equity, but there are real time barriers in terms of staff time particularly.

I wanted to find a way of democratising the knowledge I hold and want to share – so I have been busy setting up a digital platform to allow for affordable access to race equity training and development. The platform will change and grow over time – but I think that’s what we have all learnt. We all have to keep changing, keep growing and keep finding ways of doing what we need to do.

What skills do you think are most important for freelance or consultancy work?

I try to employ a practice of radical generosity – race equity practice is constantly changing, so it helps to develop our collective thinking if we are constantly sharing our thinking and good practice.

And being freelance can be lonely, so to do it, I think the work must fulfil, interest and challenge you. In my spare time I tend to read everything on inclusion in the cultural sector, I attend conferences, and I am always looking to increase my understanding. At the moment I am reading Transforming Inclusion in Museums by Moore, Paquet and Wittman and it’s giving me so much food for thought.

How would you find out about opportunities for freelancing?

Recently I’ve started to create my own products that are helpful for the sector, and that has really helped me to find and retain great clients who are interested in really embedding their work. My work can be delicate, so I tend to have lovely clients that kindly recommend my practice, which means a lot.

I have had a website for a long time that I use to archive my work – as freelancers we often forget to record what we do. And, of course, I use formal avenues via the Museums Association, GEM, Arts Jobs and Contracts Finder. If there’s interesting work going on, I will often sign up to newsletters and send an e-introduction too.

What advice would you give to someone who is not currently working as a freelancer or in a consultancy?

I think I have been extremely lucky in that I found my space (hence Take the Space) in the cultural sector very early on, and it has fulfilled me professionally. Even when times were tough, I really understood why I do this work, and I think knowing what your passion and purpose is is key to thriving as a freelancer.

What do you wish someone had told you about being a freelancer?

I’ve had two incredible mentors in my career, and I was very lucky to learn two really great lessons early on that have stayed with me.

1. Being a freelancer in the cultural sector by default means that you run a small business in an industry that you really care about, and as much as you would like it to, passion doesn’t put dinner on the table. Focus on being an entrepreneur too.
2. If you have caring responsibilities, then every year when you get your new diary, score out time to give yourself what you need in order to thrive in your personal life. When my children were young I would score out school holidays and inset days – not with the intention of being able to take all that time off, but it made sure I was able to be mindful of how much work I could deliver and how many meetings I could schedule in during that time. It is possible to make freelancing work for your particular circumstances.

What should museums be doing to support the wellbeing of freelancers in the sector?

For me, learning and development is a huge area. The pandemic really highlighted how important freelancers are to the museum ecology, so it would be great to invest in freelance skills development. For example, if a museum is working with a freelancer and there is an important conference coming up – can an extra ticket be purchased with travel expenses in exchange for a blog or all staff sharing? Or if you are offering in-house training, can you invite your freelancers?

Jenny is an arts and heritage consultant who supports organisations to achieve race equity. The consultancy, Take the Space, combines strategic support with training and development. The consultancy is on social media as @SpaceTake