Unveiling the Arts, Culture, and Heritage Landscape: A Comprehensive Workforce Analysis
Report Unveiling: Fresh Study Reveals Detailed Insights into Audiences and Employees Spanning Art, Culture, and History Sectors Following Decade-Long Data Collection
Get a sneak peek at the groundbreaking report that's shaking up the arts, culture, and heritage sector! For the first time, census data has been utilized to create an intricate map of the workforce in these fields across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each Local Authority can now easily identify the number of artists, actors, and museum workers, you name it, right in their backyard.
This data is revolutionizing local policymaking by providing invaluable insights into the arts, culture, and heritage sub-sectors, allowing them to spot local specialties and better shape development plans and investment decisions. The data also offers a close-up look at the demographics of the workforce, including ethnicity, age, disability, gender, sexuality, and religion, essential for planning Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategies.
The report, titled "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Audiences and Workforce," was unveiled by the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) as part of its "State of the Nations series." The research was spearheaded by the Creative PEC's research team at the University of Sheffield.
Key findings highlight inequality in the arts, culture, and heritage sector workforce, echoing previous Creative PEC research. Here's a snapshot:
- A staggering 90% of workers in the arts, culture, and heritage sector are White, compared to the general workforce figure of 85%.
- In terms of class inequality, 60% of arts, culture, and heritage workers grew up in households where the main income earner held a 'managerial or professional' role, while the equivalent figure for the whole workforce is 43%.
- In the field of 'Film, TV, video, radio and photography,' just 8.4% of people identify as being from a working-class background.
- Women account for 34% of 'managers and directors in the creative industries.'
Bernard Hay, Head of Policy at Creative PEC, shares his thoughts: "This research underscores the persisting disparities in the arts, culture, and heritage sector based on factors like gender, disability, ethnicity, social class, and geographic location. It also emphasizes that the vast gap in opportunities varies significantly depending on each type of activity and job. In view of funding challenges and a cost-of-living crisis, this report serves as a stark reminder of the need to address social inequalities in many parts of the sector."
Dr. Mark Taylor, the report's lead author, explains, "Our research confirms widespread inequality across several demographics using the latest census data. Yet, we also recognize potential for arts, culture, and heritage to exhibit greater inclusivity than other sectors. For example, workers are more likely to be LGBTQ+, and in creative activities like writing, disabled people are more likely to participate."
The report reveals that 90% of people in England engage with the arts each year. However, notable discrepancies exist in participation levels. For instance, just 41% of White people visited a 'historic landscape' in the past 12 months compared to 11% of Black people, and people with a disability were less likely to have 'attended' various cultural activities, although they were more likely to have participated in some activities like creative writing.
The research team suggests further exploration is required to better understand the nuances of cultural engagement, as the study does not account for participation in cultural activities through volunteering, studies, or employment.
Professor Hasan Bakhshi, Director of Creative PEC, emphasizes, "The arts, culture, and heritage sectors play a significant role both as an economic powerhouse and in enriching public life. To ensure steady growth, the sector demands high-quality workforce and audience data. This is where Creative PEC's State of the Nations series comes in, regularly reporting key data for policymakers across a variety of industries, not just the arts, culture, and heritage sectors."
The report launch event featured a panel of industry experts consisting of Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford UK City of Culture 2025, Peggy Hughes, CEO of the National Centre for Writing, Kelly Parish, Senior Manager of Diversity at Arts Council England, and Lara Ratnaraja, Cultural Consultant and Creative PEC Industry Champion.
/AuthorAlice KentAlice is Head of Communications at Creative PEC
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- The comprehensive workforce analysis report, unveiled by the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre, offers a detailed map of the arts, culture, and heritage sector workforce across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, using census data.
- The data investment reveals valuable insights into local policymaking, aiding in spotting local specialties and shaping more effective development plans and investment decisions.
- The report, titled "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Audiences and Workforce," delves into disparities in the sector, such as gender, ethnicity, social class, and geographic location, highlighting the need to address these inequalities.
- Key findings show that 90% of workers in the arts, culture, and heritage sector are White, while just 8.4% of people identifies as being from a working-class background in the field of 'Film, TV, video, radio and photography.'
- The research indicates that 90% of people in England engage with the arts each year, yet notable discrepancies persist in participation levels, such as lower visit rates among Black people and people with disabilities to certain cultural venues.
- The arts, culture, and heritage sectors, being significant economic powerhouses and enrichers of public life, demand high-quality workforce and audience data for steady growth, as provided by Creative PEC's State of the Nations series.
