My most unpopular opinion on burlesque pay rates

There are always lots of discussions online about how much burlesque performers should charge and what industry rates look like.

And for many, a kind of sliding scale is often applied that when you are a newbie you can or should not be charging as much.

I guess with the rationale that you don’t have as much experience.

I’ll be the first to jump up and down and say that just because you are new, doesn’t mean you don’t get paid.

In my opinion (and having a seen a real tjme decline in artist fees over 16 years) the minimum industry rates are that. The minimum. The base of the award.

If you’ve got the stripes you can for sure charge above and beyond.

I liken it to any award in any other profession.

If you join a company and have less experience you’ll be at the bottom or entry of the award for your profession. As you stay longer, gain experience, hit performance milestones your pay increases.

But what you aren’t doing is the role for sub minimum wage.

You start with a baseline and advance in pay as you grow and develop.

In my opinion if you’re working a professional event you get paid the award fee. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first show or not.

And this isn’t unique as a situation to burlesque.

I think it’s just deciphering the award (Media Entertainment And Arts Alliance) that makes it hard.

Comparatively, Musicians Australia has a great guide on minimum pay for musicians - regardless of experience. NAVA has a scale for visual artists. But there’s a staring point clearly set - and it advances upwards, not downwards.

You don’t need to accept a non award wage just because you’re new.

We all started somewhere. Wage theft ain’t cool.

(And to be clear, I’m not having a pop at community building events or school shows - because these are really important to any genre in arts. We could do a whole discussion on community arts).

But I’m really not here to see new people taken advantage of because they are new. If you have hustled/auditioned/applied and gotten into a paid position that pay should be appropriate.

And PS. Remember just because it’s art and you love it doesn’t mean it’s not of financial value or has less worth. My analogy is love for a job doesn’t mean you do it for free. My kids teachers love their job. But they wouldn’t turn up for free.