FINE (Freelance Independents North East)

FINE (Freelance Independents North East) is a peer-led network established to support freelancers, artists, and independent creative practitioners across the region. It was created to respond to a clear need: many creatives in the North East work independently, often without the structures of support that larger organisations rely on, yet their contribution is vital to the region’s cultural life. FINE provides a space for those individuals to connect, collaborate, and take an active role in shaping a more sustainable future for freelance practice.

The network was developed in partnership between Look Again at Gray’s School of Art and Culture Aberdeen, with support from UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Together, this collaboration ensured that the project was not only artist-led but also connected into the wider cultural landscape, strengthening its reach and impact.

FINE launched in 2025 with the Founding FINE Residency, held at the Sir Arthur Grant Centre in Monymusk. This pilot project brought together 20 creatives for a weekend focused on connection, reflection, and shared experience. Unlike traditional residencies or conferences, there was no expectation of finished outcomes. Instead, the emphasis was on making space to pause, exchange ideas, and reconnect with creativity in an open and supportive environment.

Over the course of the weekend, participants took part in structured sessions and informal activities, but also had the freedom to step back, recharge, and engage in their own way. Shared meals, conversations, and spontaneous creative moments helped to build trust and community. For some, it meant rediscovering their creative energy after a period of burnout; for others, it was about forging new collaborations or simply finding the reassurance that they were not working in isolation.

The impact of the residency extended well beyond the weekend itself. Attendees left with renewed confidence, fresh ideas for projects, and stronger peer networks. Many have continued to work together, shaping proposals, organising gatherings, and imagining how future iterations of FINE could evolve to be even more inclusive and accessible.

Building on this momentum, FINE has since introduced FINE Nights — regular monthly meetups offering a relaxed space for freelancers to share work, test ideas, and connect with others. These gatherings ensure that the connections formed through the residency are not temporary, but part of an ongoing peer-led ecology of support.

FINE recognises that creativity takes many forms. Its community includes full-time artists, part-time practitioners, people balancing creative work with other jobs, and those returning to practice after time away. By embracing this diversity, FINE affirms that there is no single path into or through a creative life, and that all experiences are valuable.

Through its partnership with Look Again at Gray’s School of Art and its emphasis on peer leadership, FINE has begun to lay the groundwork for a stronger, more confident freelance sector in the North East. It is creating conditions where freelancers can not only sustain their practice but also shape the cultural landscape of the region together.

Keep up to date with FINE here.

Photos displayed on this page have been taken by Lee Garson, 2025 during Founding FINE Residency.