Looking for freelance work?
Simply list your details and available skills for FREE and let commissioners, project managers and others in need of a local creative freelancer find you.
What to do: Use (or create) a WordPress account to login to The Critical Fish website and select ‘Add listing’. Create your listing, sit back, and wait; any offers of work will be sent directly to your email inbox for you to respond to. You can then login and update your listing at any time.
Need a Freelancer?
Use the search features to check out the local talent, find the right creative person for your project and contact them for FREE.
What to do: Use (or create) a WordPress account to login to The Critical Fish website and just start browsing, using a variety of advanced search features to find who you’re looking for. You can also use the in-built contact form to send a message directly to their email inbox.
The HEY Fish Directory
What is it?
The Fish Directory operates much like any other listings site (i.e. Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle) except that it specifically helps connect those looking for freelance creative work with those needing creative freelancers, within Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire.
This directory aims to serve as an independent, democratic space for arts organisers to reach out and offer paid freelance work to artists, designers, musicians, theatremakers, writers, dancers, producers… and everyone in between. This Directory also helps artists to find, connect and collaborate with one another.
Is it really free? What’s the catch?
Yes, it genuinely is free to use as both a freelancer and organiser, and no, there’s no catch.
We believe that finances should never be a barrier for people accessing paid work, simple as that. We don’t offer paid-for ‘boosted’ plans for the same reason – keeping things equitable is important to us. It’s free for organisers too because we know arts organisations – many of which are charitable, third sector or have limited funding – prefer that their cash goes directly towards the people making art and delivering arts activities. We have no intentions for paid membership either, and we won’t share your details with others, nor will we monetise your data. Yes, we really are that great.
Info, Guidance and Transparency
General info for everyone
- We are working on creating a ‘how-to guide’ to help clarify the listing and searching process. When it’s made, we’ll share it here.
- The site’s accessibility options (blue button, top right) will also work across the Directory.
- You need to login to the website using a WordPress account to both create a post or message a freelancer directly, as this helps protect from spam or malicious messaging. As you will have access to the Fish website as a ‘subscriber’, we ask that you use a strong password to help protect the Fish website.
- If you come across a problem, query, or just want to tell us how much you love this Directory, email us at hello@thecriticalfish.co.uk
I’m an artist. Anything else I should know?
- This Directory is specifically for people living and/or working within Hull and East Yorkshire, UK, and by extension, within the surrounding areas (e.g. East Riding, South of the Humber). Please do not add a listing unless you’re actively available for work in Hull or East Yorkshire.
- Please do not list telephone numbers or emails, or personal information, in your listing. This Directory can be accessed by anyone, anywhere, for any reason, so remember all the things you’ve been told about staying safe online!
- We know you’re wonderful and multi-talented, but please refrain from including every single thing you maybe-sort-of have a skill in. Focus on celebrating your key specialisms and abilities. Help maintain site quality by keeping your selections relevant.
- Found another creative with interests similar to your own? By all means, connect – we’re all for connection, community and collaboration!
- Is your professional field not listed? Let us know and we can add that in for you (please be patient – this site is voluntarily managed!)
- Your listings will be auto-deleted after a year, unless you login and renew it. This is to prevent a build up of outdated or irrelevant posts. There has been some reports however of the email notification coming through to ask for renewal, so please make a note to renew after logging in each year.
- Please, for the love of Cod, make sure you read through the Terms and Conditions (you’ll see it when creating your listing) before publishing.
I’m an organiser. Anything for me?
- Please do NOT reach out to freelancers offering ‘exposure’ or fee-based ‘opportunities’, or anything other that fairly paid work. The only exception would be to approach an artist to propose something that you’re currently seeking funding for (to which they will also be paid fairly). If you’re unsure on rates, please check out the Artists Union’s Rates of Pay resource and offer work accordingly.
- This Directory is for people living and working in Hull and East Yorkshire area, but this does not mean to say that any paid freelance opportunities must only take place locally. See what your chosen freelancer(s) can do!
- We are free for you to use, but if a project or event is succesful as a result of using the Directory, please consider making a donation to The Critical Fish, or offer to support us in a different way (e.g. sponsorship, including us in future bids). Contact us directly if you wish to continue supporting us and our work (including this Directory!).
Transparency
It’s free because we’ve found a way to do it for free. The Arts Development Team at Hull City Council have funded the initial labour to get the Directory up off the ground, and we use open-source software, ‘unflashy’ plugins, whilst piggybacking off the existing Fish website, to keep it going for free. We’ve even designed it with a ‘hands-off’ approach so the Fish team don’t have lots of ongoing work to do, which helps keep it even more sustainable and importantly, free for it’s users. So until the Fish website is no more, or those free tools suddenly start costing, this Directory will be here for you to use, for free, forever.
Funded by Hull City Council
The Critical Fish would like to offer a huge thanks to the Arts Development Team
at Hull City Council for supporting and investing in this initiative.