Class chasm in creative industries

Research from Netflix and the National Youth Theatre reveals the shocking extent of the “class chasm” in the creative sector - and its impact on attitudes towards creative careers.

A staggering 89% of working-class parents, guardians, and carers do not want their children to pursue careers in the creative industry. Instead, parents favoured traditional careers in law, finance, and engineering, which are perceived to offer better pay (58%), career progression (60%), and stability (56%).

The research shows that these ‘traditional’ professions are better at attracting more diverse talent, with only 8% of people working in film, TV and radio identifying as working class.

What’s more, the research highlighted a significant lack of understanding about what a career in the creative industries would entail, with four in five parents (81%) feeling that the term “creative” means different things to different people.

• Only 8% of those working in film, TV, and radio identify as working-class, highlighting the lack of diversity in the creative industries.
• Three in four (73%) young creatives (aged 16-25) report that their parents view their career as a waste of their education.
• Over three-quarters (78%) of young people find it challenging to explain their creative profession to their parents, with 41% of parents admitting that the language around creative careers feels vague.

The problem is further highlighted by young people (16-25) already working in the creative industry. One in four (26%) of them said their parents, guardians or carers are unsupportive of their creative endeavours. Close to three quarters (73%) say their parents view their career as a waste of their education.

“What is it you do again?”

Over three quarters (78%) of young people felt explaining their creative profession to their parents was challenging. Four in five parents (81%) feel that the term “creative” means different things to different people.  Over a third (41% ) of parents said the language around creative careers, such as film and TV, felt vague.

To help change this, Netflix and the National Youth Theatre have launched year two of IGNITE Your Creativity, to help break down barriers for young people from the West Midlands, North East and London who want to work in film and TV. 

The programme equips young people with the knowledge, skills and connections to build networks and confidence. It offers free practical workshops that explore the wide-range of creative roles available, including information on starting salaries and progression to counter the narrative that creative careers are poorly paid and unstable. IGNITE also connects young people with set and backstage visits, work experience opportunities and industry experts. This year the programme will focus on the West Midlands, North East and London. 

Adeel Akhtar, NYT Alumnus and new Patron said: “It’s a pleasure to become a National Youth Theatre Patron and be a part of the IGNITE programme and all the incredible work Netflix and NYT are doing to support more young people from all walks of life into the arts. This research speaks to my personal experience of the complexity of breaking into the creative industry, and I feel passionately about paving the way for the next generation of young people, and their parents, to maximise their creative potential.”

Anna Mallett, Vice President, Production APAC, EMEA and the UK, Netflix said: “The UK is a creative powerhouse, but we'll only keep our edge if our sector is open to young people from all backgrounds. This new research shines a light on the need to better support diverse talent. We're delighted to partner with the National Youth Theatre on the next iteration of the IGNITE programme to help young, aspiring creatives build the networks and skills needed to make their mark in the creative industries."

Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said: “Our world-class creative industries generate a whopping 125 billion for our economy, offering people opportunity, rewarding jobs and the chance to develop cutting edge technical and digital skills. Through our national growth mission, and working with organisations such as Netflix and the National Youth Theatre, we will open up access to these sectors and make them more representative of the whole UK. Our aim will be for communities and businesses across the country to feel the benefits of inspiring more young people to pursue a creative career.”

Paul Roseby, CEO and Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre said: “The stats speak for themselves, but many of the young people we aim to work with can’t. We’re grateful to our friends at Netflix and location partners for giving us a chance to empower young talent as we strive to redress the imbalance of access for young underserved and working class creatives.”