Trends Analysis: Artistic, Cultural, and Historical Sector Workforce and Participation in England's Current Landscape
Arts, Culture, and Heritage Sector RecoveryHighlights Significant Persisting Inequalities
Five years since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the arts, culture, and heritage (ACH) sectors across England are evidently recuperating amidst an increase in cultural engagement trends and a stabilization in workforce rates. However, ongoing demographic and geographic disparities require urgent targeted policies to cultivate a more equitable and inclusive cultural landscape.
In a recent report, Arts, Culture and Heritage: Recent Trends in UK Workforce and Engagement in England, examining data from the DCMS Participation Survey between 2022/2023 and 2023/2024, it has been identified that while recovery is underway, disparities among socio-economic classes, ethnicities, and regions have shown little improvement.
The labor market within the ACH sectors continues to be predominantly composed of individuals from middle-class backgrounds, with limited progress being made towards diversifying the workforce. Moreover, attendance at cultural events exhibits a widening gap between middle-class and working-class populations, with ethnic minority communities also underrepresented in participation rates.
The evident disparities are not exclusive to the labor market, as they persist in geographic distribution as well. High engagement rates are predominantly concentrated in urban areas such as London, while regions outside of the capital and the South East exhibit much lower participation levels. Furthermore, local authority budgets for culture have been reduced, and public investment is inconsistently allocated, worsening regional inequalities.
In an attempt to address the persistent disparities, several policies and focus areas have emerged:
- Inclusive strategies aimed at underrepresented demographic groups are gaining recognition to foster greater inclusion and accessibility in the cultural sector.
- Policymakers are emphasizing place-based cultural development to support local economic regeneration and are considering devolving decision-making powers to local authorities for tailored interventions.
- Data-driven tools provide insights into regional engagement and workforce patterns, empowering policymakers with evidence to design targeted strategies.
- The prioritization of workforce diversity efforts aims to transform the sector's demographic makeup, potentially driving broader engagement.
- The restoration or increase of cultural budgets in local authorities outside of London and the South East is deemed essential to maintain sustained cultural programming and infrastructure.
In conclusion, while the ACH sectors are undeniably recovering post-pandemic, inequalities along class, ethnic, and geographic lines remain prominent. To create a more equitable and vibrant cultural landscape across the country, policymakers should focus on targeted, place-based policies that prioritize inclusion, local empowerment, and workforce diversity.
- Despite the recovery in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors, there has been little improvement in disparities among socio-economic classes and ethnicities, as well as regions.
- The labor market within the ACH sectors is predominantly composed of individuals from middle-class backgrounds, with limited progress towards diversifying the workforce.
- The Anders report, which analyzed data from the DCMS Participation Survey between 2022/2023 and 2023/2024, revealed that attendance at cultural events has a widening gap between middle-class and working-class populations, and ethnic minority communities are underrepresented in participation rates.
- Geographic disparities are also evident, as high engagement rates are concentrated in urban areas, particularly London, while regional areas outside the capital and South East exhibit much lower participation levels.
- To address these persistent disparities, policymakers are focusing on inclusive strategies for underrepresented groups, place-based cultural development, data-driven tools for targeted interventions, workforce diversity efforts, and restoring cultural budgets in local authorities outside London and the South East.
- In politics and general news discussions related to policy-and-legislation, the need for targeted, place-based policies to create a more equitable and vibrant cultural landscape across England is gaining attention.
