The screen industries are failing to include and support talented individuals from working class backgrounds. Heather Carey, Dave O’Brien and Olivia Gable assess the evidence.
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Screened out: Tackling class inequality in the UK's screen industries (Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre)
The Screen Industries are a vital and vibrant part of the economy. A key area of competitive advantage for the UK in a post-Brexit era, they contribute over £20bn in GVA and employ over 200,000 people. As part of the wider Digital and Creative Industries, they are acknowledged as central to the Government’s new Plan for Growth. But the sector faces challenges too and one of the greatest relates to diversity. Whether in terms of race, gender, disability, or social class, the Screen Industries are failing to include and support talented individuals from a range of backgrounds and demographic groups.
In August 2020, the PEC published the first report from a series exploring class and social mobility in the UK Creative Industries. The work painted a concerning picture of widespread and persistent class imbalances across all creative industries sub-sectors, with the exception of Craft. New analysis of the 2020 Labour Force Survey data only serves to heighten these concerns.
The research published today was undertaken by the PEC and supported by ScreenSkills with National Lottery funds awarded by the British Film Institute (BFI). It shows that in 2020 over half of people working in the UK’s Screen Industries were from privileged backgrounds (53%), compared to 38% of people working in any role ...Keep reading on Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre.