Artist Employee

Alice Mary Cooper

During my time as the Artist Employee with Magnetic North, I undertook a wide range of activities—some initiated by me with their support, and others carried out directly with and for the company. In both cases, the experience was deeply beneficial to my artistic practice. The position also gave me the rare opportunity to be paid for doing things that I might not otherwise have been able to justify or afford, and that alone was a game-changer.

Broadly, my time can be divided into two categories: the work I did independently with Magnetic North’s backing, and the work I did collaboratively or directly for the organization. All of it was meaningful and contributed in different ways to how I think about my practice.

Early on, I attended a Strategic Planning Day with Katherine, a communications and marketing specialist. It was the first time I had participated in a day focused on defining a company’s message, short- and long-term goals, vision, values, and the language used to communicate all of that. As an artist—not a company—it was new and eye-opening. It encouraged me to reflect on how I see myself and my work, and how I articulate that to others. That kind of thinking has proven incredibly helpful when writing grant applications or pitching myself to festivals and programmers. It also made me more mindful of which opportunities align with my values and which don’t. As someone who struggles with strategic-level thinking, it was valuable to see how strategy is broken down and developed, and to feel I had something to contribute.

In a similar vein, I attended a board meeting, which again offered insight into a very different operational rhythm than I’m used to as a freelancer. Magnetic North operates at a slower, more considered pace, always thinking years ahead—something that often feels out of reach in the day-to-day of freelance life. It was also my first time witnessing how a board meeting runs and what is expected of board members. 

Observing the multi year funding process gave me an appreciation—and frankly, relief—not to be responsible for it myself. I had a small role, reading through some environmental and sustainability strategy documents and offering suggestions, but mostly I was a fly on the wall. However, simply being present, within a small arts organisation, during this period of intense strategic planning across Scotland helped me understand, as an artist, why the sector was much quieter during 2023–24. There was so much uncertainty about funding, and everyone was preoccupied with securing resources for the future. That insight gave me compassion and perspective, both as an artist and a citizen of the arts community.

I also served as one of the assessors for the Rough Mix selection process. It was both a privilege and a challenge. As an artist familiar with how much effort goes into applications, I found it hard to emotionally distance myself from the process. Still, it was heartening to witness the rigour and fairness with which Magnetic North and Dumfries & Galloway Festival approached the selection. The toughest part was having to rank applications. I reviewed around 30 for only five available spots, and honestly, I could have chosen three-quarters of the cohort. I gained a deeper appreciation of how individual applications are part of a larger matrix involving equity, diversity, inclusion, geography, and artistic balance.

I also participated in sector meetings on artist development, where I tried to voice thoughts shared by many freelance colleagues. It was encouraging to see how seriously organizations were taking artist development, even though most had very little money at the time. Simply being in the room and contributing felt meaningful.

One of the most consistently valuable experiences was attending the weekly team meetings. These were a reminder of both the scale of Magnetic North’s work and the time it takes to plan and execute projects. As someone who struggles with long-term planning, this was particularly useful. I also appreciated the camaraderie and the chance to share what I was doing. As a freelancer, that sense of being seen and valued is rare and precious. These meetings were not only grounding but also a window into how ongoing projects intersect with broader concerns like accessibility, sustainability, finances, and marketing.

As for the work I pursued with Magnetic North’s support: one of the first things I did was attend the FST (Federation of Scottish Theatre) conference. Though I was there as an individual artist, being affiliated with Magnetic North subtly shifted my perspective. I approached the event with more of an organizational lens, paying attention to things I might have overlooked before. It was refreshing and thought-provoking to be part of conversations around reimagining what an inclusive, artist-led conference might look like, particularly through FST’s proposed anti-conference format, which emphasized open-floor discussions.

One of the most special opportunities I had was being part of Rough Mix as a lead artist. I was able to develop a piece about Charles Aznavour, which later became a Fringe show and led to further development in London, supported by Magnetic North. This was my first time developing work in London, and it felt creatively expansive. Thanks to Magnetic North’s connection with Chat’s Palace, I was able to collaborate with two London-based artists I’d long admired. The change of setting gave the work a fresh perspective and made me feel more ambitious and inspired.

I’m especially grateful to Anna, who helped me with funding applications—including a Four Nations bursary for the Aznavour piece. It was very helpful to have her strategic eye on how to frame the work and the project. She also assisted with my Open Project Funding application for Waves, a solo show I toured to India. Although the first application wasn’t successful, the second was, and that funding supported a carbon-lighter touring model and a research project I’d been working on for years.

More generally, just having a salary allowed me to take part in things that would otherwise have been financially difficult. For example, I spent the weekend at Devoteg and Disgrunteled in Leeds with Improbable theatre. It’s a fabulous weekend to meet and connect with lots of people from the sector, UK wide. Being able to afford accommodation, travel and give myself per-diems helped considerably. I was also able to attend children’s theatre festivals overseas in Denmark (Klpa festival) and Brussels (Export/Import). These trips were hugely beneficial to my practice—not just for networking, but also for inspiration—and having that monthly salary made it all feel legitimate. I felt like a real artist, using the resources available to me to grow, connect, and create.

Being Artist Employee with Magnetic North gave me as a freelance, independent artist an artistic home for the first time. It was transformative to be part of a team, to feel that my ideas and practice had worth and were supported by a group of people. The Artist Employee opportunity is empowering in that it’s about solidarity and not charity. As an artist you’re often in the position where you’re receiving help from organisations, but with this I was offering back in equal measure – inputting into how the company develops itself and makes work just as much as they offered input and support to my work and practice.  It came at a really good time for me where I’m asking big questions about what I want my practice and career to look like in the future. Having the stability and security of the monthly salary was transformative, it allowed me to be more generous with my time and support to others in the industry, it allowed me to consider how I could step off the treadmill and build space and time into my practice – in fact how this is something that I really need creatively. It also allowed me to take time to think about how I can operate more sustainably, to minimise my carbon footprint as I travel alot for opportunities. And there’s a legitimacy to being part of a company, to be able to say you’re an Associate Artist with a company like Magnetic North – it was a confidence and self worth booster. I think this role is so important and I wish it was more common. I think every company should employ an artist. It would make a huge impact on the sector from a creative, environmental and wellbeing perspective.

Nicholas Bone, Magnetic North

Having Alice with us for a year was equally as transformative to Magnetic North. Alice brought expertise and innovative ideas around sustainability and Carbon lighter travel and touring options. She inputted into our strategic planning and was integral in particular to shaping the Sustainability section of our new business plan, bringing fresh insight on environmental sustainability, wellbeing and Fair Work and how interlinked all these areas are. As an independent freelance artist she offered unique perspectives on our artist development programme and how we might make our processes as admin light and as creatively beneficial as possible to artists. She helped challenge our internal biases, and encouraged us to question why we did things the way we did. We will feel the ripple effect of Alice’s time with us for a long time. She has shifted the way we work for the better and the impact on us as individuals and as a company has been really profound.