Here’s the truth: running a grassroots collective isn’t an easy ride. There’s no big pot of money, no corporate sponsor footing the bill. It’s us - juggling jobs, scraping by and putting every bit of energy we have into keeping Flos alive.
And when it comes to money, we’ve always tried to put artists first.
So… have we paid ourselves?
Honestly? A little bit. In the three years of running Flos, between the core, we’ve shared around £300 total before this festival. That’s not each - that’s between us. For hundreds of hours of admin, producing, fundraising, designing, and cleaning venues at 3am.
So yeah, we’ve technically paid ourselves something, but it’s barely even pocket money compared to the work that goes in.
Where the money goes
Most of the time, everything we raise or earn goes straight back into the Flos pot:
Paying artists where we can
Covering venues, materials, and tech
Reinvesting into the next event so Flos doesn’t fizzle out
At the very start, we did ask some friends to perform for free - because we had nothing. They showed up because they believed in what we were building. But our line has always been: if there’s money, it goes to artists first.
Why we care so much about this
We’ve all been there: offered “exposure” instead of payment, made to feel like our work isn’t worth anything. And we don’t want to replicate that cycle.
But here’s the other truth: our work as organisers is valuable too. Coordinating projects, writing funding bids, producing events, liaising with artists, designing flyers, lugging equipment, making so... so much content for instagram - it’s work. It’s care. And without it, the shows don’t happen.
So yes, we prioritise paying artists first, because they’re the ones on the stage, holding the workshop, putting themselves out there. But we also know the invisible graft behind the scenes deserves recognition too.
Building the culture we want to see
We’re not perfect, and we can’t always pay what we’d like to. But we’re clear on this:
Artists shouldn’t carry the financial burden of making culture happen.
Organisers shouldn’t be expected to do everything for free, forever.
Grassroots doesn’t mean disposable, and it doesn’t mean free.
One day, we want Flos to be able to pay everyone properly - artists, techs, producers, organisers, even ourselves. Until then, we’ll keep carving out what we can, being upfront about our limits, and pushing for funding that actually supports the people doing the work.
The bottom line
We try to pay artists because it’s the right thing to do. And even when we can’t always pay ourselves, we know this: without valuing artists, there is no arts scene.
So yes - artists and organisers deserve thanks. But more importantly? They deserve a fee.
