Hello.
It took me a long time to pluck up the courage to create this page. It was suggested to me a long time ago but I’ve always felt uncomfortable asking for help, and was worried my work doesn't benefit others quickly enough to warrant it.
However, it’s been pointed out to me that my current business & production activity will create jobs for others, and support them in achieving financial sustainability in the same way it will for me.
Go on then, give us the sob story
Fine, I will fill you in... but let's not dwell on it, OK?
Firstly, I am an actor, and acting will always be my first love.
But there is (and will continue to be) a lot of time while I'm not acting, and during that time, I'm determined to do other meaningful work that helps to make the world a better place. In my eyes, this means creating work that has a social impact, and increasing accessibility to the arts. And this means leading on projects & business ventures that can pave way for change, and doing this flexibly (yet very effectively!) around my first love while ensuring foundations are in place for it to continue in my absence. I'm so very close now.
I’m from a low-income working class background which has thrown many financial barriers in my path to pursuing a career in the arts. I did everything by the book and took a great deal of time building myself to a position where I could securely enter self-employment as a multifaceted artist in 2017, and even undertake drama school training in 2019 which took years of auditioning & finance planning! But shit hit the fan when the pandemic hit and I sadly fell through all the gaps of government support. This has set me back several paces and landed me in suffocating amounts of debt, which brings me to now.
My training finished in Summer 2021 and I've been taking on a lot of freelance work to keep a roof over my head, but as I'm only just earning enough to cover my basic living costs, my debts aren't clearing and are, instead, quickly accruing interest. I'm stuck, but I'm determined to not go back to square one.
Ok Emmeline, it sounds shitty, but what choice do you have?
Well I'm glad you asked, Fred.
I run two non-profit social enterprises that, after many years of hard work, have become very close to bringing in a stable income for myself and others. This will pay for the time we’re putting in to run them, meaning they will actually start functioning properly and securely, and making a social impact like I mentioned earlier :-D
KT Consent was set up to support educational settings in delivering RSHE workshops that delve into the sophisticated nuances around Consent & Healthy Relationships. We have gained a lot of traction & enough pre-sales to cover our start-up costs, so now we just need to get the ball rolling with building a marketing & communications strategy to spread the word! It won't be long until we're well on our way to producing more quality films and resources for our ever-expanding package, and paying ourselves and a team in the process! We’ll be joined by 2 interns in the coming weeks and will be developing 3 new lesson plans before schools go back in September.
^That's me I've circled! This was at a 'Meet the Buyers' event 2 weeks ago on behalf of KT Consent.
Nexus Cast & Crew Network CIC has been running for nearly 8 years thanks to a small, dedicated team of volunteers. We run events for creative freelancers & artists across the Midlands with monthly networking, knowledge exchange & showcase opportunities. Unfortunately, this is no longer sustainable without funding, so we’re now working hard behind the scenes to raise the necessary funds in order to implement a whole new events programme that can offer more tailored and meaningful support to Midlands creatives and pave way for new opportunities in the region. It’s ambitious but essential, and we just know it will be effective.
^One of our Nexus events
Additionally, I am developing a full-length play with a wonderful team, which is expanding on the work we started with Keep Breathing short film. We’re currently applying for funding and development opportunities with hopes of having 2-3 R&D weeks over the next 6 months, and a production ready to go by Summer 2023! Watch this space!
So as you can see, I’m spinning a lot of plates, but I’m not doing any of it alone and each project is moving forward every day. I’ll update this page with our progress :-D
So erm.. why am I buying you a sandwich again?
Firstly, please don’t if you can’t afford to. We are in a cost of living crisis (note my impeccable timing as always) and it's important to prioritise.
Secondly, a bit of a disclaimer, I have already had a great deal of love and support for which I'm so incredibly grateful. I completely understand if you’re tired of my cries for help. I’m tired, too, and wish I could lay low right now instead of typing this. I feel like I'm letting people down when they've showered me with so much kindness and support that has led to amazing break-throughs, yet I still can’t stand on my own two feet. (That includes support through our Keep Breathing crowdfunder, my tuition fee crowdfunder, and the support I received after being scammed out of every penny last year.)
I promise I will pay everything forward one day, and while that day isn't today, I will continue doing all I can with the time and resources I have to support my peers in other ways.
Meanwhile, I am working every single waking minute to turn all this around, and I’m confident it can be achieved soon. I know it's unhealthy to be working this much but I can’t afford not to right now. Over the past month, I’ve been millimetres away from having to give up everything I’ve worked towards despite being so close. Your sandwich donations will help to see me through the conclusion of this prologue.