Related Articles
‘It’s just really frustrating as an artist to have put the work in and then be treated this way’
A number of artists who performed at this year’s Manchester Pride claim they have not yet been paid – and say they’re concerned they might not be following reports about the festival organisation’s future.
The festival took place over the August Bank Holiday weekend (August 22 to 25) with headliners Olly Alexander, Leigh-Anne and Nelly Furtado across stages in the Gay Village and at Mayfield Depot.
Manchester Pride issued a statement earlier today (Thursday, October 16) to say it was ‘currently in the process of determining the best way forward’, and said it understood the frustration regarding a lack of communication with performers.
It comes amid reports the outfit faces of impending administration amid financial troubles. According to records on Companies House for Manchester Pride Ltd, reported at the end of 2023, the charity generated £2.7m in revenue but had £356,000 in negative funds.
Stay connected with our City Life newsletter here
Despite that, a Trustees’ Report and Financial Statement, for the year ending December 31, 2023, predicted that it would ‘maintain a positive cash position throughout’ 2024 and 2025.
At least 10 performers have spoken to the Manchester Evening News claiming they have not yet been paid for their involvement. They allege they had to sign 60-day payment terms, which have been criticised by the Equity union.
The end of the 60-day period ends next Wednesday (October 22) – the same date Pride’s trustees said more details will be shared.
Drag queen Zahirah Zapanta, who appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, said she was ‘deeply disappointed’.
Zahirah added: “It’s just really frustrating as an artist to have put the work in and then be treated this way by what is one of the biggest Prides in the UK. It’s just really disrespectful.”
Saki Yew, who also appeared alongside Zahirah on Drag Race UK, claims she too has not been paid yet for her appearance. “It’s disgusting,” she said. “There’s just been nothing. I’ve asked again and again for clarification, but it’s been total radio silence.
“I wanted to be a part of this huge event that celebrates the community. But all this hassle makes it not worth it.
“The 60 day payment terms are kind of offensive, to be honest. You don’t go to a hairdresser or buy drinks at a bar and say ‘oh, I’ll pay you in 60 days’, do you? I don’t understand why it should be any different.”
According to the Equity union, the ‘industry standard is a maximum of 30 days’ when it comes to performer payments. The union told the Manchester Evening News the ‘unnecessarily long payment terms of 60 days’ made Manchester Pride an ‘outlier’ in the industry.
DJ and performer Ivy Profemme took part in the Fat Pride celebrations at this year’s Manchester Pride. “60 days is not the standard by any means at these kinds of events,” she said. “But people agree to it because it’s Manchester Pride and it’s such a big scale event. You don’t expect there to be any issues.
“But if the Drag Race girls haven’t been paid then what chance do we have? We, as the lower-billed performers, don’t always get these opportunities so speaking out is always a risk.
“But this is our city, we like to perform in Manchester and we want to be part of the event. But we also deserve to be paid and to be respected for our time.”
Drag performer Banksie said ‘Pride is supposed to represent and uplift our community – and that includes valuing and compensating local queer artists who bring these events to life’.
Tequila Thirst, who also performed alongside Zahirah and Zaki during the Kulture Kabaret show, said she isn’t optimistic about what the next few days will bring. “Technically, Pride still has until next week to pay us what we are owed,” she added. “But, many of us are now really questioning whether they will pay us.
“A lot of us work full-time in what we do, this is our careers, it’s our livelihood. It’s about having respect for what we’ve done. We’ve held up our side of the agreement by performing. If they didn’t have the money, then why did they book us?”
The Equity Union said it had received a number of messages from concerned performers at this year’s Manchester Pride and is looking into how it can help support them.
The union said it had heard of some performers who have not been paid as early as June. It said it would ‘support members to bring claims, should payments not be forthcoming’, and urged performers to reach out directly to them.
Karen Lockney, Equity North West official, said: “Equity has received several queries from performers involved with working at Manchester Pride 2025 who are experiencing payment delays and have concerns that they will be left out of pocket after working the event in August. We encourage other performers to contact us directly so that we can offer advice and support.
“Performers are self-employed workers who often have significant upfront costs in order to deliver extraordinary performances and experiences. Having to wait so long for payment puts an unnecessary financial burden on precarious workers. We expect an event which celebrates equality to be equally respectful of workers’ rights, and we urge Manchester Pride to respond to Equity urgently.”
A statement shared by Manchester Pride’s Board of Trustees released earlier today recognised the period of silence, and said they ‘understand the frustration this has caused and the impact this has’. In the statement, the trustees also said that they were ‘currently in the process of determining the best way forward with our legal and financial advisers’.
Manchester Pride’s statement in full
Manchester Pride’s Board of Trustees wrote: “We recognise that there has been a period of silence from us, whilst we have taken legal and financial advice. We understand the frustration this has caused and the impact this has. Our intention is to ensure that we speak with honesty, clarity, and care as we move forward.
“Manchester Pride is currently in the process of determining the best way forward with our legal and financial advisers. The aim is to provide additional communications by Wednesday 22nd October. We will provide further information to our communities and stakeholders as well. They deserve this.
“We know that moments like this can raise questions and emotions. We want to ensure that our staff, interns, artists, contractors and suppliers, who are all a part of our community, are heard and considered. The wellbeing and safety of our staff, who are all a part of the wider community is our highest priority.
“We ask that people treat our staff, from the CEO to the interns and volunteers, with kindness and respect. They have worked hard to deliver pride for decades and we are proud of them. It is the board that takes responsibility for our decisions based on advice and guidance, and not our staff.
“As part of this process, we will be reaching out to key stakeholders, partners, and media contacts in due course. Until then, we are pausing further public comment while we focus on clear and careful communication.
“Thank you to everyone who shows solidarity during this time.”
Join our Manchester Food and Drink WhatsApp group HERE
Source link
