Yeah, I just thought I'd let you know that I weep about how much New Media
Curators are paid compared to people working in call centres or MacDonalds.
It really is a disgrace...
On 25/1/07 16:44, "Sarah Cook" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi CRUMB list readers,
>
> apologies for a quiet month of mostly announcements - Beryl and I are
> in the grim end days of writing a book that gathers together much of
> the new knowledge brought forward by CRUMB these last years... and
> preparing for the future with plans for new research posts at our
> humble offices in Sunderland. Woohoo!
>
> But this process has brought a question to the fore, also prompted by a
> conversation I had with another CRUMB list lurker: how much is what you
> do worth?
>
> We've seen new media curators downsized by their institutions/museums
> in the name of financial cut-backs, and over tea at the Crisis Centre
> at ISEA I heard many a lament from curators whose responsibility it is
> to not only fundraise for their programme of media art, but for their
> own salaries too. Recent job ads for new media curators have made
> apparent that, for instance, in the words of said list-lurker,
>
> "The Human Resource Manager will get paid more than the Curator
> despite the requirement for the curator to be an equally highly skilled
> individual, who will additionally be expected to have immense knowledge
> and experience, and to bring his or her own wealth of personal
> connections, networks and contacts."
> The lurker continues,
>
> "This perpetuates the expectation and acceptance of low wages which has
> become standard for professionals working in the not-for-profit arts
> sector. In comparison to national job listings, in similar regions
> (outside the centres like London) one would be paid more as a personal
> assistant, a computing systems assistant, an admin officer; essentially
> a whole swathe of jobs for which one is given much less responsibility,
> and expected to be much less experienced, and will likely not have to
> work every hour god sends to ensure projects happen at a high standard,
> purely for the love of it. And thatıs the real sticking point. Itıs
> poorly paid because people really want to see these things happen, and
> to see them done well, and so is accepted as standard within a sector
> which has traditionally been poorly funded. The economy has changed
> dramatically in the last 8 years, and the Arts are now recognized as a
> financially important sector [certainly in the UK where the arts are
> tied to cultural and economic regeneration schemes, tourism and the
> like]."
>
> So, do the wages offered reflect the work involved? I suspect the
> answer is no, but why?
>
> I graduated from a masters programme in curatorial studies 8 years ago
> and was recently asked for my earnings history so that the current MA
> programme administrators could work out appropriate levels of financial
> aid so students didn't graduate with unmanageable student debts (like
> mine!). I am aware that working for a university and being able to
> curate projects from that base, with incredibly grateful thanks for our
> academic funding, I earn probably slightly more than the curator at the
> artist-run gallery down the street. Yet I also know in the UK a number
> of fellow researchers within the university sector who run programs for
> digital media artists (outreach projects, not necessarily students),
> and who are however, still in a position of having to get grants to
> cover their salaries as well as funding for their programme. As more MA
> programs for curators are accredited, how can we ensure the salaries
> these curators might earn are in keeping with similarly skilled
> graduates in other fields? The Tate (obvious example, sorry) has
> traditionally offered very low salaries for entry-level curatorial
> positions with the reason that the prestige and experience will balance
> the risk out. But when curators are also expected to have technical
> knowledge (as is the case with the, for instance, webcasting /
> educational / media arts curators), and are getting paid far less that
> the museum's systems administrator (who might know less about
> technology than they do, or spend their days fixing the office printer
> and firewall), is that really fair?
>
> Your thoughts, rants, suggestions are most welcome, as we all file our
> year end financial accounts ;-)
>
> and again, apologies that this is slightly left field...
> Sarah
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