Work it out

A few weeks ago, London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) hosted a recruitment day to fill ten posts created through New Deal of the Mind (NDotM) and the Future Jobs Fund. Sitting in on interviews provided a harsh reminder of the damage unemployment does to self confidence, but what struck me more was that the LMA had probably never seen so many black and Asian faces. It is a terrible indictment of so much about the arts and heritage world that, despite endless protestations to the contrary, it is largely run by, and for, middle class white people and is perhaps perceived by many in the black and Asian communities as ‘not for the likes of us’. It is therefore hugely to the credit of the LMA that it is so determined to make a difference using its ten jobs.

DRIVING ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Access to jobs in the arts and creative sectors has traditionally been about personal connections and the ability to work for free as an intern. Some jobs are only advertised by word of mouth, and if you’ve had limited access to arts and culture how could you begin to imagine the vast range of jobs available in museums, galleries, music, media, performance art, theatres and design? NDotM is founded on the belief we must nurture and support artists and creative entrepreneurs, who are so vital to the UK economy, if we are not to lose a whole generation to the scrapheap of unemployment. The creative industries contribute more than £50bn a year to the economy and, according to NESTA, will be “a key driver to economic recovery”, employing more people than the financial sector within four years. Since NDotM launched just over a year ago, we’ve helped create several hundred new jobs in the arts and creative sectors. Real jobs with organisations ranging from the Southbank Centre and the Royal Court in London to Theatre Resource in Essex.

LEG UP, NOT HANDOUTS
Although there has been swift condemnation of the new coalition government’s scrapping of the Future Jobs Fund, the reality is that it was a cumbersome and complex scheme which often promised more than it delivered. We await the details of what’s promised to be a simpler and more accessible programme which will help more people out of unemployment more quickly. NDotM has lobbied hard for the reintroduction of something like the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, which helped many creative entrepreneurs set up in business. Famous beneficiaries include Alan McGee, founder of Creation Records, Julian Dunkerton who launched the Superdry fashion label, and artists Jane and Louise Wilson. The report we recently produced for Arts Council England (ACE) gave an insight into the barriers facing young people pursuing a career in the arts, and reinforced the desire for a hand up rather than handouts.
‘Creative Survival in Hard Times’ underlined the level of personal commitment and sacrifice made by young people who would rather struggle financially than abandon their creativity. Many of those interviewed criticised the bureaucratic, inflexible attitude of some Jobcentre staff, who failed to recognise self-employment and freelancing as choices. Aspiring artists spoke of the difficulties of entering a job market where vacancies are rarely advertised and exploitation of interns is rife, reinforcing it as the prerogative of the well-off or well-connected.

FLEXIBILITY FOR FREELANCERS
The young artists and creative entrepreneurs interviewed for the report wanted work space, access to information, mentoring and business skills. Small interventions that could make a big difference were far higher on their list of priorities than money. Some argued against public financial support because they didn’t believe “hard working midwives and teachers” should pay for them to follow their dreams. Neither did they want Jobseeker’s Allowance, but rather a more flexible approach to freelancing where any financial help should encourage productive self-employment. As one said, “If someone becomes a lawyer or a doctor they fill an existing job. An artist who starts their own business creates a new job.” The report argued “Self employment is not just a quick fix solution. It is Britain’s best chance of capturing the talent of a generation of creative entrepreneurs.”
As Barbara Gunnell, the report’s co-author said, “The focus and commitment we found was astonishing. As a country, we desperately need their creativity to drive the economy yet we don’t give them the backing they should have and that’s something that needs to be urgently addressed.” Among the recommendations in the report were: an Enterprise Allowance Scheme for the 21st century; simplification of self employment regulations and help setting up as freelancers and small businesses; help with ongoing professional training; space to work, rehearse, network and access business advice; strict control of unpaid internships; a national mentoring scheme. Meanwhile, the new employees at the LMA have already started work on digitising and cataloguing the capital’s archives to make them more accessible. In the longer term, their experience may help jobs in the arts become more accessible too.