A new report released today by Freelancers Make Theatre Work (FMTW) highlights key issues facing the freelance theatre workforce. Conducted in March-April 2023, this year’s survey highlights a pay-gap between the male and female workforce of 37.4%, and reports of an industry rife with ageism and sexism are further corroborated by data which reveals that the pay-gap widens to 47.7% for freelancers with 21-30 years’ experience in the industry. Third in a series of surveys by FMTW, the 2023 findings indicated that overall, average earnings for freelancers in the industry are 17.5% below the UK national average salary, and that many are leaving – or being forced out of – the industry resulting in skills shortages across the sector.