New research claims that just 12 percent of those working in visual art in the UK come from a working class background. This inequality is the most marked of all creative disciplines.
The report authored by Heather Carey for the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre shows that just 16 percent of those working in creative occupations grew up in a working class environment with 16 percent of those working in film, 15 percent of those in advertising and marketing, 12 percent in architecture and 13 percent in publishing coming from a under-privileged socio-economic group.
Music and performance was also recorded in the 12 percent bracket.
This compares to just under a third of workers across all parts of the UK economy. In contrast, those from middle-class, more privileged, social origins comprise 52 percent of the creative workforce, compared with 37 percent of all occupations.
The research used parental occupations as its definition of class, drawing on the National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification. Those who had at least one parent whose job was a higher or lower managerial, administrative or professional are classed as having ‘privileged’ backgrounds. Those whose parents worked in lower supervisory and technical occupations, or were self-employed were given ‘intermediate’ status, and ‘working-class’ was defined as being raised by parents who were employed in routine or semi-routine occupations, or who were long-term unemployed.
The research showed that people who grew up in a privileged environment were more likely to have autonomy in their work and working hours as an adult and have supervisory responsibility. Carey’s survey showed that the privileged dominate key creative roles in the sector, shaping what goes on stage, page and screen. Examples given included authors and writers (59 percent are from privileged backgrounds), journalists, newspaper and periodical editors (58 percent), programmers and software development professionals (54 percent) and arts officers, producers and directors (54 percent).
Commenting on her findings Carey said: ‘Through this work we want to catalyse collaborative action – led by industry, trade bodies, wider stakeholders and Government – to test and trial new policy, programmes and practices that promote inclusion in the Creative Industries; to show leadership as an industry on the vital issue of social mobility in the UK. Even before COVID-19, the industry was recognising a need to address these issues, and the pandemic has in many ways only served to emphasise the vulnerabilities such practices create. As we look to rebuild the sector, now is the time to consider how we can address long-standing structural weaknesses. We need to consider how we can build a more inclusive creative economy and how we can unlock the potential of the creative sector to support recovery and promote greater social mobility.’
