Addressing the Working Class inequality gap in the creative industries

Education and workplace practices are critical to change according to the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre.

The UK Creative Industries are missing more than 250,000 working class voices: a deficit almost equal to the increase in jobs in the sector over the past five years according to a new Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre report.

Social mobility in the Creative Economy: Rebuilding and levelling up? explores the issue and sets out a series of interventions that aim to level up the gap.

The importance of the creative industries as an engine for growth and innovation following the pandemic, and the UK’s exit from the European Union, cannot be overstated. It’s an area of the economy that includes a range of activities from marketing and public relations to film, and from publishing to museums and galleries.

The Government’s Build Back Better: Our Plan for Growth cites the creative industries as a major success story for the UK, and a critical driver of innovation and growth. They contribute £116 billion to the UK economy, a trade balance of £37.9 billion and 2.2 million jobs.

According to the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre it’s a sector that is growing at double the rate of the wider economy, innovative and export-orientated, and a key source of competitive advantage and soft power.

Yet, despite this success, there were significant concerns that the benefits of growth are not equal and that the opportunities created in this vibrant part of the economy are out of reach for many.

Those from privileged backgrounds are twice as likely to land a job in a creative occupation. They dominate key creative roles in the sector, shaping what goes on culture, media, and television.

Class intersects with gender, race, disability, skills and place. This creates double disadvantage. It calls for an intersectional approach, recognising that promoting social mobility is integral to wider efforts to address inequality and exclusion.

According to the PRCA 2020 Census a fifth of the 97,300 practitioners that work in the industry attended a fee-paying school versus seven percent of the population. That’s a Working Class employment gap of almost 13,500.

We cannot claim to represent the organisations or the public we serve unless this imbalance is addressed.

Examples of socio-economic disadvantage are embedded in every life stage.

• Early life – access to culture experiences and role models

• Education - Unequal access to higher education and preparation for the workplace

• Transition to work – access to internships and unconscious bias in recruitment

• Workplace - cultural fit, access to training, advocacy, and mentoring

The Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre sets out a series of interventions to level up the gap. These include early life experiences, unlocking the potential of education, improving job quality and business practices, and accelerating progression of diverse talent and promoting inclusive leadership.

An intervention in the public relations industry

Sarah Waddington and I set up Socially Mobile as a Community Interest Company with the goal of addressing inequality in the public relations industry.

It’s an issue close to home. We are both from a Working Class background, attended comprehensive school, and benefited from Council grants to attend university.

Socially Mobile aims to provides a specific educational intervention to support practitioners in the transition from a tactical to a managerial role through a ten week programme. We’ve brought together a team of more than 25 leading practitioners to teach core skills, creativity, planning, financial management and technology.

It’s aimed at practitioners from a lower socio-economic backgrounds, as well as under-represented and under-served groups including black, Asian and ethnic minority practitioners, women returners and those with disabilities.

Socially Mobile will formally open for applications in November. In the meantime get in touch if you’d like to make an expression of interest.