Creative Access and FleishmanHillard UK Research Found 77% of Those in the Creative Industries Feel They Must Change Their Accents at Work to be Taken More Seriously

Creative Access, a leading social enterprise specialising in diversity and inclusion across the creative industries, and global communications agency FleishmanHillard today launched the Language of Discrimination Report. The report reveals the impact of accent bias within the creative industries, and how those affected are feeling under pressure to change their accents to advance in their careers and appease management and clients.

The report draws on a survey of 301 members of the Creative Access community, and a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults based on age, gender, region, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.

For an industry with language as its main product, the research found that accents continue to be seen as a marker of class, education and background – impeding talented individuals’ access to, and progression within, the industry. Over three quarters (77%) of respondents working in the creative industries have felt they had to change their accents in the workplace – specifically when dealing with clients.

Official statistics state that over two million people across the UK work within the creative industries, however according to research from the PEC over half (52%) of the creative industry workforce is from high socio-economic backgrounds, compared to 38% across all industries.

With social mobility remaining an acute issue within the creative sector, addressing the issue of accent bias is a key step in driving more inclusivity. Recent research conducted by experts from the Universities of Manchester, Edinburgh and Sheffield reveals that class inequalities within the creative sector had not evolved since the 1970s. It highlighted data from the Office of National Statistics that outlined 16.4% of creative workers born between 1953 and 1962 had a working-class background, but that had fallen to just 7.9% for those born four decades later.

Today’s report highlights that many in the creative industries, as well as the UK at large, have felt prematurely and subconsciously judged because of their accent and manner of speech in formal, workplace scenarios.

Some key responses from Creative Access community members, include:

• 35% were told to change their accents when speaking to customers or clients, compared to 21% of the surveyed general population
• 89% believed that others had made subconscious judgements about them based on their accent or how they speak, compared to 65% among the general population
• 62% were taught from an early age by teachers they must ‘speak better’ to be successful

Impact on career progression:

• 90% agree that those who speak in Received Pronunciation are more likely to be hired and promoted within the PR and Communications industry
• 87% agree there are barriers to entry in PR and Comms depending on your accent and voice, compared to 32% of the working UK adult population
• 60% agreed they had to change their accents to progress their career, compared to 25% of the UK population

Lack of diversity and inclusion:

• 81% of the Creative Access community respondents code switch (changing behaviour to match your peers) for a number of reasons, most notably to be taken more seriously (67%)  
• 69% agree they do not hear many people with accents and voices like theirs in the workplace
• 89% agree that their voice and accent affect how they are perceived in the PR and Communications industry specifically, compared to 41% of the working population

Elonka Soros, Development Director at Creative Access: “The emotional labour of frequent code-switching – the change in one’s behaviour to match their peers – remains an issue in the industry not just in how it impacts the quality of the work produced, but more importantly on the wellbeing of employees. For those who constantly change their manner of speech, a core part of their identity, it leads to higher rates of burnout and anxiety, highlighting the need to foster more inclusive environments for diverse voices.”

Ben Levine, Senior Partner and Head of the UK socio-economic employee resource group at FleishmanHillard: “Accent bias won’t go away on its own. There’s always more we can do as individuals, and as an industry, by fostering inclusivity among our ranks. Be it by adapting blind recruitment processes further, checking our own internalised biases or by calling out remarks about our colleagues’ accents, we can create a more welcoming workplace. Thanks to our partners at Creative Access, we can have those honest conversations and reflections, and take them in our stead to bring in, keep and nurture the diverse voices our industry needs.”

Today’s research supports the findings of The Sutton Trust’s Speaking Up report, which revealed that public attitudes to different accents have remained unchanged over time. Its findings revealed that Received Pronunciation remains the dominant accent in positions of authority across the media, despite less than 10% of the population estimated to have this accent, exclusively from higher socio-economic backgrounds.

About FleishmanHillard  
FleishmanHillard specializes in public relations, reputation management, public affairs, brand marketing, digital strategy, social engagement and content strategy. FleishmanHillard was named 2021 PRovoke Global Agency of the Year, 2021 ICCO Network of the Year, 2021 Campaign Global PR Agency of the Year, 2022 PRWeek U.S. Agency of the Year and Outstanding Extra-Large Agency of the Year; 2021 PRovoke APAC Consultancy of the Year; 2021 PRWeek UK Large Consultancy of the Year; Human Rights Campaign Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality 2018-2021; and to Seramount’s (formerly Working Mother Media) “Top Companies for Executive Women” list 2010-2021. FleishmanHillard is part of Omnicom Public Relations Group, and has 75 offices in more than 30 countries, plus affiliates in 45 countries.  

About Omnicom Public Relations Group   
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, language strategy, global health strategy and change management. As the largest group of communications professionals in the world, our employees provide expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the Communications Consultancy Network, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC).    

Creative Access partnered with global communications agency FleishmanHillard to explore the extent and impact of this “language discrimination” on employer cultures, employees and aspiring employees and on the work they produce in the creative industries and beyond.

The report reveals the impact of accent bias within the creative industries, and how those affected are feeling under pressure to change their accents to advance in their careers and appease management and clients. Over three quarters (77%) of respondents working in the creative industries have felt they had to change their accents in the workplace – specifically when dealing with clients. Meanwhile 89% of our Creative Access community have felt prematurely and sub-consciously judged by others based simply on their accent and manner of speech.

The report draws on a survey of 301 members of the Creative Access community, and a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults based on age, gender, region, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.

Read the report in full here: Language of Discrimination

Employer resource: The language of discrimination – class barriers and accent bias

Creative Access development director, Elonka Soros, reflects on our work over the past year and what key diversity and inclusion concepts employers need to know for going into 2023…

As I start the year prepping new projects for 2023, I’ve been reflecting on a busy 2022 Creative Access year of activity.

It’s been a pleasure to meet so many engaged creative industry colleagues over all the training sessions I led last year. In those sessions, I have noticed a shift in levels of understanding about matters of race, sex (and gender identities) social class and disability. That’s not so surprising because these discussions have been at the fore of political and world events, but what is interesting is that perhaps because of the often-polarising nature of the narratives, in many cases, I’ve also noted an increasing sense of urgency to take actions to confront and eliminate exclusions often aligned with these identity characteristics.

Regardless of sector, company size or the level of seniority of those participating in our Creative Access workshops, the key themes emerging out of these discussions have been very similar.

I’ve collated the top five matters that were exercising the minds of creative colleagues in 2022 – I wonder, how do these match your experience and what are you prioritising for 2023?

It’s been refreshing to be part of DE&I conversations that acknowledge that just because someone is included in the team it does not mean that they feel that they belong. Creating equitable and inclusive workplaces with belonging cultures requires action that goes beyond the diversity numbers and the inclusion policies. It takes each one of us to understand the individual roles that we play to create company cultures that are welcoming, respectful, where people feel valued and can thrive. When people thrive, businesses thrive too.

We’ve been working with a global publishing company on their Equity and Belonging programme for line managers. They’ve built strong ERGs (employee resource groups). These safe spaces, celebrating difference have provided a forum for individuals to engage in meaningful dialogue with colleagues. When people feel they belong they are more likely to speak up, be creative and to innovate.

This year Creative Access research has fuelled some insightful discussion with and within our wider creative industries community. Data from our 2022 Thrive Report showed that disabled people who also identify as Black, Asian or from other ethnically diverse backgrounds, are feeling less confident about their careers and progression in the creative sector than any other group. The more ways that a person is minoritised in their workplace – the greater the levels of concern. These more nuanced conversations about disability, race, accent, and social class have brought greater awareness and understanding of the ‘emotional tax’ of people who are minoritised in multiple ways at work. Hence the focus as above, on creating belonging cultures where people don’t have to mask their identity, or “pass” to survive. 

While Creative Access’s industry leading positive action apprenticeships and internships programmes have delivered increased racial, socio-economic, and disabled representation at entry level across the sector, our research and community feedback show it’s still far from a level playing field and there is a lot of work to be done. In all areas of the creative sector, disabled people are seriously underrepresented. Steps to address systemic structural barriers are needed throughout the career cycle and you can read more about these and see the data from our Creative Access Disability Survey 2022 here.

While the Covid19 pandemic is not over yet the forecast is not so bleak as it was back in 2020 when the UK went into lockdown. The toll on our individual and collective national mental health as we adjusted to a new reality is well documented, as is how many workplaces responded by putting in place measures to support employee wellbeing. Creative Access’ team of clinical psychologists, beamed into our homes via zoom and provided our team with tools to support ourselves, our families, and wider communities during the crisis, and many of our employer partners have been accessing these resources too.

Before the pandemic in many people spoke to me about their fears of sharing their mental health status at work, but the psychologists’ sessions have provided a space for people to share and learn that mental health is not static and that we are all always somewhere on a scale. More open conversation about feelings and the impact of day to day working life on our wellbeing has also resulted in a motivation for people to be alert to behaviours and language that could negatively impact their mental health and those of their colleagues. As we get back into more normal routines, the next steps will be to maintain the good practices we have acquired and build them into our new ways of working. 

The 2022 Creative Access Thrive research threw up an interesting aspect that may account for the slower progress towards DE&I aspirations than many creative companies would have hoped – they have no data upon which to build the actions required for change. Increasingly there is a realisation that measuring the diversity numbers is not enough, we also need data on our inclusion impact, and even fewer companies are doing that.

Earlier in this reflection I shared some of the discussion on the concept of belonging and the importance of understanding how now only how colleagues are accessing roles in our teams but also how they are experiencing working with us. It’s not always easy for people to speak up about matters that are concerning them or even articulate some of the impacts of workplace culture on mental health and wellbeing or productivity and ability to innovate. Even giving positive feedback about the things that we love about the places we work and the people we work with can get overlooked as we move form project to project, across time zones and in hybrid spaces. But we do need the information if we are to make the best use of our time and resources.

I think I may have said this before but it’s true, so I’ll say it again… when people thrive, businesses thrive too (and there is a big body of research to back that up).

If you’re interested in discussing what’s at the top of your DE&I agenda for 2023 or finding out more about how we support and partner with organisations, please contact us here.

I look forward to hearing from you.

What a year 2022 was! From celebrating our 10 year anniversary to launching our first career development bursary and steering group, there were lots of reasons to celebrate.

We’re so proud to have recruited new candidates, matched more mentoring partnerships, worked with existing and new employer partners, and continued supporting our ever-growing community in our mission to create a more inclusive and diverse creative economy. But, we know that there’s still so much more to do in 2023.

Here’s some of our highlights from the past year…

• Placed 285 people from under-represented backgrounds in the creative industries in permanent roles or internships
• Trained 4,625 employers in 185 workshops
• 300+ mentoring placements
• 980 people from marginalised groups supported with employability skills
• 2,500 young people and students aspiring to work in the creative industries reached at university and college fairs and community and youth organisation events
• 850 people inspired at 12 masterclasses ranging from how to get into journalism at the Financial Times to working in the TV industry at ITV Leeds (featuring a special tour of the Emmerdale set!)

Creative Access undertook more research into how under-represented communities in the creative industries fare in the workplace this year. See our findings…

• Thrive report
• Covid-19 impact research with University of Manchester)
• Young carers in the workplace
• “Generation post-pandemic”
• Creative Access disability report 2022

This year also marked our 10^th anniversary. Together with our friends at CPL Productions and with director Andrea Speziale-Bagliacca, we made a film highlighting our alumni’s stories and career progression. We hosted three events across the year with our community of interns, alumni and employer partners to thank them for being a part of our journey so far.

For our birthday, our longstanding employer partners across journalism, TV, publishing, music, theatre, art and marketing kindly shared with us the impact that Creative Access has had on their organisations over the past 10 years…

Tom Weldon, CEO at Penguin Random House UK:

Julian Bellamy, MD at ITV Studios:

Alison Phillips, editor at The Mirror:

Jay Jopling, founder of White Cube:

Rufus Norris, artistic director & joint CEO at National Theatre:

Are you an employer looking to create a more inclusive workplace? Find out more about our training and recruitment services.

Candidate searching for your dream role in the creative industires? See our opportunities board and how we can support you.

• Only a quarter feel they have access to the contacts and networks needed to progress their creative career (vs. 62% of general respondents) 
•  88% cite the two biggest barriers as: lack of employer understanding of ‘reasonable adjustments’, and awareness of disability issues among colleagues 
• Many candidates choose not to disclose disability to potential or current employers 

Creative Access has today published a new report on Disability equity in the UK’s creative industries, which reveals the shocking extent to which disabled UK workers have experienced prejudice around access to jobs or progression opportunities in creative industries. The gap widens when disabled individuals also identify as being from a Black, Asian, Ethnically Diverse (BAED) or low socio-economic status (LSES).  

Creative Access data showed, when asked to agree or disagree with the statement ‘I feel I have the the necessary confidence to progress in my career’ 70% of respondents who identified as BAED agreed, this dropped to just 40% when respondents identified as BAED and disabled³. When asked about seeing opportunities for career progression, the answers were 71% vs. 60% respectively³. 

In the UK currently 1 in 5 in UK workers are disabled, and the likelihood of unemployment is higher with disabled workers (81% vs. 52.7% of non-disabled workers)¹. And while the employment gap had been closing, the pandemic took us back a step. Disabled workers are also more likely to be in lower-skilled occupations, self-employed, working part-time (and subsequently less hours), working in the public sector or temporarily away from work¹. 

We asked candidates about tactics to improve the accessibility of roles and opportunities in the creative economy to disabled people. The most important thing was that employers be responsive to employees negotiating a working pattern that met their individual needs; over three quarters of respondents cited that they’d like: 

• More flexible working  
• Training for line managers in supporting disabled employees to thrive 

The survey found 56% of respondents are affected by more than one category of disability (rising to 86% of respondents affected by mental illness and at least one other). Only a third of respondents felt they had confidence to progress their creative career, citing negative experiences at work contributing to low confidence. And only 1 in 3 stated that their organisation had an inclusive culture.  

On intersectionality, BAED respondent Lily Ahree Siegel said: “It’s not about the lack of talent but lack of access. It seems no matter how qualified or excellent I am, I need to be extraordinary to receive praise and access to similar institutions to my white, able-bodied peers…Like many jobs, there’s a lot hinging on others to “take a chance” on someone. Not to mention other systemic disadvantages – disabled people are more likely to be unemployed or living in poverty. I have [also] yet to see a person like myself in a leadership position.” 

While there was no ‘one size fits all approach’ for adjustments or considerations for employers when it comes to helping disabled workers and candidates thrive. A common theme appeared among immediate considerations, including: 

• Audit your staff to ensure hiring and line managers (and third party recruiters) sufficiently understand their legal duties towards disabled people as set out in the Equality Act 2010 
• Undertake appropriate team training, e.g. on embracing neurodiversity, mental health or disability equity to ensure staff are more aware of what ‘reasonable adjustments’ can and should be made
• Consider making adjustments to your application procedures regarding forms, interviews and communication around the recruitment process

Josie Dobrin, Executive Chair, Creative Access: 

“In the creative industries – in which disabled people are under-represented – there is a huge opportunity for employers to gain from the advantage of a more diverse workforce. And disabled candidates are clear about what will best set themselves up for success, whether that’s around flexible working, better training at all levels of the organisation or bespoke routes into mentors. It’s collectively down to us all in the creative economy to decide to listen to the data, spot room for improvement and act upon it. 

“We at Creative Access also don’t shy away our part to play as a diversity, equity and inclusion organisation that connects diverse candidates with opportunities for jobs and career advancement. We have already begun implementing numerous changes to how we recruit and support our own staff, and we will also be exploring how we support disabled candidate access to networking, bespoke mentor matching and potentially ringfenced access to bursaries for career development.” 

• Creative Access disability equity report 2022
• Inclusive employer action plan resource (disability) 
• Upcoming open employer training: mental health, neurodiversity, disability equity

We designed the survey in consultation with a disability consultant. This was sent to approximately 8,000 contacts on the Creative Access candidate database who had identified themselves as disabled, Deaf or neurodivergent. It was sent by email and completed via an online form during September 2022. In total we received responses from 770 candidates. 

¹ ONS ‘The employment of disabled people 2021’, 11 February 2022 

²Responses in the category ‘other’ included responses such as Hard of hearing/Deaf, Epilepsy, PTSD, Dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Stammer and Multiple Sclerosis amongst others. 

³Creative Access 2022 Thrive Report which surveyed employers and employees in creative industry roles

In 2022 we commissioned a survey in consultation of all those within the Creative Access community who identified themselves as disabled, Deaf or neurodivergent. 

The findings, published in a new report, show a pressing need for creative employers to improve access for disabled workers and support progression within the sector. Key observations about disabled individuals working in or looking to break in to the creative sector were:

• Only a quarter feel they have access to the contacts and networks needed to progress their creative career (vs. 62% of general respondents)
• 88% cite the two biggest barriers as: lack of employer understanding of ‘reasonable adjustments’, and awareness of disability issues among colleagues
• Many candidates choose not to disclose disability to potential or current employers

Over three quarters said they would like to see more flexible working and training for line managers in supporting disabled employees to thrive.

Read the report in full here: Disability inclusion report 2022.

Read our employer resource on disability equity in the creative industries here.

To mark #WorkinPublishing week we hosted an all-star panel (including four of our very own Creative Access alumni!) from leading publisher Penguin Random House. The panellists talked about their journey into publishing, the day-to-day of their roles, and gave a bucket-load of inspiring advice for those pursuing a career in the book trade. Below are some of their top tips, or you can head over to our YouTube channel to catch up on the full conversation. The panel comprised of:

• Josie Dobrin, Founder & Executive Chair – Creative Access
• Mubarak El Mubarak, Head of Digital Marketing & Brand – Penguin Michael Joseph
• Candy Ikwuwunna, Brand Marketing Manager (Youth Engagement) – Penguin Random House
• Malissa Mistry, Sales Manager – Vintage
• Gaby Puleston-Vaudrey, Editorial Assistant – PRH and BBC Audio
• Priyanka Moorjani, International Communications Assistant – Penguin Random House UK

The panel covered wide-ranging themes from favourite books to top tips for covering letters and interviews. On the subject of CV and applications, Malissa, stressed how important it is to tailor your cover letter to the role in question saying “it will take more time, but applications that aren’t changed across roles are immediately obvious to the reader. Instead, break down the job description into key points and apply your skills and experience to any activities or requirements. Find something you like from the publisher’s output or activities to talk about in the interview or application.”

When moving to interview stage, Gaby cited that she used the STAR method; this stands for situation, task, action, and result. Think outside the box when it comes to your experience, as interviewers will be more interested in your approach to a challenge and how you applied yourself to it.

Gaby described passion for books as ‘the one thing you can’t learn.’ This is something that anyone entering the industry will have but being able to showcase your genuine interest in the current book market when applying or interviewing is key.

There are plenty of ways to show you have your finger on the pulse, whether it’s through knowing the top charts or having a favourite BookTok campaign – something that Candy remembers bringing up in the interview for her current role.

Before he found his internship, Mubarak spent 9 months applying and getting nothing – ‘I had to check if my inbox was working!’ – and said that you don’t need to rule out a career in publishing to justify taking a break from sending applications. No two paths into publishing are the same.

Priyanka also mentioned that gaining publishing ‘adjacent’ experience is still massively worthwhile and sets you up for success even if you aren’t landing the dream job just yet. If you have experience on TikTok, highlight that on your CV. Even if you think it’s just silly videos you’re making from your bedroom, BookTok is now a hugely influential platform and can shape the market.

Gaby advised using transferable skills – such as the ones she gained as a student ambassador – when writing successful applications, and Malissa described how helpful it was to build an understanding about books and current trends by starting out as a Christmas temp at Waterstones.

The panel discussed the ongoing dilemma of whether or not a degree is needed to enter the sector. Whilst acknowledging the benefits of university eduction for those who can access it, the consensus from the panel was that there’s no barrier to entry without it. There are numberous pathways to a career in publishing – such as publishing apprenticeships – and plenty of other things will stand out more on your CV. Of the panel, only Priyanka had completed a Publishing MA; she said that it was a good route to picking up more publishing vocabulary and getting to grips with the process, but that the essentials of what you need to know can be learned and fleshed out through doing the job.

When discussing the skills needed for their individual roles, Gaby (who first worked with an independent publisher before moving to her current role) said that needs will vary between teams. Priyanka – working in communications – communicates with a lot of different people! She encourages individuals in similar roles to think about how to adapt their tone and approach with different people you’re in touch with, from more informal conversations with book bloggers to an attentive and generous approach to relationships with authors. Malissa said that to succeed in sales you don’t need to be an extravert, but you’ll be good at building genuine relationships with external parties, and this is just as valuable as hard data.

Mubarak had a final piece of wisdom on this topic:

The panel also spoke about diversity within industry; Priyanka didn’t shy away from the topic of where the publishing industry can do better when it comes to hiring talent from under-represented backgrounds. However, the diversity (or lack thereof) of larger publishers is becoming increasingly transparent – Penguin Random House has recently published statistics on this. Candy said that since coming back to the industry after a short hiatus, efforts across the board to improve social inclusion is more noticeable with positive action schemes like those run by Creative Access or The Scheme by Penguin Random House.

Candy’s final piece of advice was to not give up!

And don’t feel afraid to reach out to publishing industry experts who are public on social media. ‘I reached out to someone who directly helped me with my application,’ Gaby said. People who are as passionate about publishing as you are often generous with their time in giving feedback.

You can watch the full panel conversation on our YouTube channel here

Follow Penguin Random House on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest news from company news, employee stories, new roles, programme dates etc. or explore publishing roles from the wider industry on the Creative Access opportunities board.

For Creative Access’ latest masterclass, Warner Music UK hosted a stellar panel of speakers working in different arms of the organisation to discuss the rich variety of roles on offer behind-the-scenes in the music industry. 

Our chair Jeremiah Gogo is the head of data & A&R analytics at Atlantic. He delivers research and analysis projects to help inform marketing, A&R and streaming decisions.  

Arina Logacheva is the senior A&R Manager at Parlophone. She was previously the first female A&R at Sony Publishing Scandinavia.  

Maláika Carr-Haji is a marketing manager, Warner Records, where she has worked since 2019. Maláika is also a content creator and tastemaker.  

Priya Jaspal is the head of streaming & digital at Warner’s distribution arm, ADA, working across multiple platforms including Spotify and TikTok.  

Rotimi Skyers is digital and marketing at Warner Music Group’s Rhino label and formerly he was at Universal Music Group. 

Different paths – how can you land a role in the industry? 

When asked about how they got into the industry, each of our panellists had differing career journeys but agreed that networking and demonstrating your passion for music will get you far. Both Jeremiah and Priya went down the more ‘traditional’ routes of getting internships at record labels (coincidentally – both at Universal at around the same time!) and then worked their way up from there. Jeremiah and Priya emphasised the importance of being ‘in the room’ and embracing every opportunity you’re given. Priya built on this to explain: “Put your hand up to every task. Learn and do as much as you can. Spot gaps in what you think people need – how can you make somebody’s life easier?” 

Meanwhile, Arina has been in the industry for 10 years and said she had spent time volunteering at music festivals, working in radio and taking part in mentoring programmes, before getting told her opinionated nature would be perfect in an A&R role. She said that if you want to work in A&R, the best thing to do is start yourself: this could look like going out there and managing an artist or putting on club nights. “You need to speak the same language as the artist”, she says. The most important part of being in A&R is being able to connect with people at every different level.  

Both Maláika and Rotimi didn’t start off working in the music industry at all. Maláika had always worked in retail, but she spent time outside of work talking about music online and establishing herself as a tastemaker. This led to her applying for an internship at Warner, and despite not having the ‘work experience’, her passion for music meant she was offered an assistant role instead. She advised to think about what you’re currently doing that shows you actually have an interest in the industry you’re coming into. “When I turned up for my internship interview, I spoke about things I was currently doing – I had a playlist, I was on a show on Linkup TV, I was also trying to get a show on Rinse FM – even though my CV was just retail and I don’t have a degree, the things I was doing in music were what got me the job,” she said. 

Rotimi who studied architecture at university, stated that he “didn’t take the standard path”, explaining that he did “everything under the sun” from working at McDonalds, to carpentry, to doing exhibitions. He then fell into his data analyst role and applied for an internship at Universal. Similarly to Maláika, they said he was applying for the wrong job and they offered him a job in digital marketing instead proving the importance of putting yourself forward for opportunities even if you might not be considered the right “fit”. Rotimi explained that it is vital that if you haven’t got the experience, do your research before an interview: “You get one shot, go for it”.  

Researching your role and the industry is something Jeremiah agrees with. He says that you should “get to know the tools that the industry is using”, stating that in data, Chart Metric is a great tool, sign up for a free trial and play around. This can help you stand out amongst other candidates.  

“It all comes down to the human element” – what’s it like working in music? 

Our speakers all agreed that data and new technology such as streaming and TikTok is playing a huge part in the ever-changing landscape of the industry. Jeremiah and Arina noted how important data is for A&R and marketing, but they insisted that while data helps, you still need to use your gut and emotional intelligence to discover new artists and get the deal signed.  

As for marketing artists now with the rise of TikTok, Maláika explained that whilst there is an over-saturation of new music and you’re competing for everyone’s attention, her job is to “champion the artist and their story, and their music”. For example, with Pa Salieu, Coventry was integral to his campaign and she had to ensure that came across, as well as ensuring that they used photographers and videographers who could capture black skin. “We work in a business, but we work with artists every day. Once they’re at a place where their happy to bring out music, my job is to support them in any way I can,” she said.  

Like Jeremiah’s role, Priya’s job is pretty new and only came about in 2014 post the growth of streaming. While she’s aware that people don’t really understand what her job is, she describes its 3 different pillars:  

1. Sales pitch – trying to sell the artists to Spotify, telling the story in an authentic way and getting them on playlists 

2. Marketing – pitching for billboards and campaigns  

3. Data – you don’t have to be a data expert but you need to understand trends in data and think about what the artist needs in their campaign to feed into their streaming story  

She explains that her role bleeds into data and marketing, highlighting the collaborative nature of working in the music industry. Similarly to Maláika’s story about Pa Salieu and the importance of understanding your artist, when Priya led streaming on Central Cee she stated that it “all comes down to the human element”. She went on to say, “we have to lean into what he wants and just advise him on what’s currently happening in the industry.” 

Rotimi works on historical artists: his job is to repackage and retell these stories. Much like Maláika and Priya, he says that the “beautiful” part of his job is to “make sure the stories are still being told with love and care”. He works on everything from big artists like David Bowie’s catalogue, to Kate Bush’s syncing with Strangers Things, to Warner’s Black British catalogue who weren’t supported enough in the first run, explaining that now he can give these hidden gems a second life.  

What challenges have you faced in your career? 

As with any job, there are challenges. Maláika explains that being from an under-represented background in music can be difficult at times: “There’s being a woman, there’s being a Black woman. Also depending on your class, that factors in.” She states that it’s harder as a junior being around men as “your voice might not be heard”, but she highlights the importance of seeing female role models in leadership positions in giving you hope of what you can achieve.  

Rotimi said: “Being Black and where I’m from, you get pigeon-holed because you’re in an office with people who aren’t like you.” He continued that he’s had people question his vocabulary, but he advised the importance of utilising your knowledge and recommended networking – “there will be people in the building who can relate to you”. This partners with Maláika’s advice of finding the power of your voice and knowing the importance of it so that no matter what room you’re in, you’re adding value. 

Overall, our panel agreed that in the music industry you have to have confidence in your own opinion and trust yourself, but that this can be built upon simply by having a passion and love for music and telling stories. 

A massive thanks to our panel for their honesty, advice and for sharing their inspirational career journeys with us. Keep an eye out for details on our next masterclass on 5^th December 2022 which is being hosted by the Financial Times!  

It was brilliant for the Creative Access team to be back in one of our favourite UK cities Leeds for our northern careers showcase at ITV Yorkshire, with a fantastic panel of speakers including Rawan Elsa, archivist and publishing assistant at Peepal Tree Press, Rhianne Deans, editorial/clearance co-ordinator at Emmerdale, Shamima Noor, communications co-ordinator at Fuel Theatre, Sonny Hanley, controller of content services at ITV and Ayodele Ogunshakin, story liner at Coronation Street, hosted by Ian Cottrell, director of channel operations at ITV.  

Ian introduced sharing how he started out at ITV in 1999 with a degree in IT and was the first person in his family to go to university but didn’t know what to do next. Fast forward to 22 years later and he is now in a senior position at ITV Yorkshire.  

Meanwhile, Sonny knew what he wanted to do from the age of 9 – he wanted to grow up and make films. Luckily, he grew up in Leeds and felt that pursuing a career with ITV Yorkshire was a perfect fit for him. He shared how he started out making programmes and then switched into technology before moving into operations. He’s had three careers at ITV and has been at the organisation almost as long as Ian, for 18 years!  

Rhianne works on Emmerdale, one of ITV’s flagship shows filmed at ITV Leeds. The show has been going for over 50 years and we were even lucky enough to have a tour of the studio after the event. Rhianne’s role includes writing synopses of the scenes for press or for actors, collaborating with script editors and making script changes to ensure the scripts fit within allotted time. She got into the industry through an internship at Arrow Media through Creative Access, and before joining Emmerdale, she worked on Channel 4’s All Creatures Great and Small.  

Leeds local, Shamima works within theatre communications. She has been working in theatre for 5 years after starting her career with a traineeship through Creative Access in 2017 at Leeds Playhouse, after which she then worked for a few dance and theatre companies. Shamima grew up in Leeds, studied there and stayed on in the area to develop her career, proving that you can live outside London and develop a rich career in the creative industries. She works for a London based company and goes down to London about twice a month.  

Rawan is currently undertaking a PhD, alongside her work as an archivist and publishing assistant. She has a fascinating role and has spent the last few years archiving letters, documents and manuscripts for Peepal, an independent publishing specialising in African literature. She describes herself as wearing many hats, as she also runs an online book club making literature accessible to people beyond the UK.  

Ayodele worked at a summer camp in the US after university. She initially thought it was a bad decision, but the experience of working with children proved critical in her getting a role at Blue Peter. From there she moved up to studio assistant and after going to a Creative Access workshop on how to become a storyliner, she got her first break as an assistant storyliner on Coronation Street. She describes being a storyliner as an “odd position”. She works in a team of other storyliners, answering to the producer.  

“What have you done that’s outside the box? Utilise that!” – Rawan  

Our panel all cited the importance of transferable skills and experiences when trying to break into the creative industries. Shamima explained that in her first internship at Leeds Playhouse, they were mostly looking for passion for theatre and good personal skills. She’d worked on her student paper, been a student outreach officer, written a lot outside her degree, and handled the social media channels for societies she was a part of at university. She was able to marshal these skills into a CV and cover letter, which then got her the role.  

Rawan echoed this explaining: “experience is invaluable”. Even though her degrees are important and she’s enjoyed her academic journey, it was the internships and volunteering at places like Elizabeth Gaskell’s House that displayed her passion for history. Alongside this, she states that she identified people she admired and spoke to them on twitter, went to careers fairs and networking evets – all of which helped her land her roles.  

When it comes to specific roles, such as storylining, Ayo recommended watching lots of TV as ‘research’. She took on a runner role to expose her to the innerworkings of the TV industry, but she says: “Don’t discount the non-TV experience you have”. Lots of TV work is about teamwork and that can come from university, volunteering and roles outside the sector.  

“When people are open to a chat, they might be open to helping you find work, so take those chats seriously” – Ayo  

Networking is a key skill for finding work, mentors and even likeminded peers within the creative industry. Rhianne empathised that networking can be awkward, admitting that she used to be really bad at it, but she told our audience that they’d be surprised by how many people want to share their knowledge. People are busy so you shouldn’t feel worried about following up and reminding them. She also advised the audience to not confuse being formal with being professional – you can be jokey and show your personality which can then engage people and make you stand out.  

Shamima agreed explaining that these events are nerve-wracking, but you find your own rhythm. “Ffrom the start it was clear to me taking part in events was going to be key. After-parties after each event you should go to show you’re committed.”  Similarly, Ayo recommended thinking of networking as ‘connecting’ with people instead, which takes the pressure off the interaction.  

“You’re not just there because of luck. You’re there because you’ve excelled. If you trip up, pick yourself back up again” – Rawan 

On this note, our panel then began to discuss how imposter syndrome can manifest itself and how they overcome it. Rawan had some wonderful advice for our audience, she explained that she looks in the mirror and recites positive affirmations about herself to reassure herself. She suggested writing them down and even sticking them around your room when you’re feeling low.  

Rhianne and Sonny both work at ITV and have both found their networks within the organisation a great source of comfort when they have been feeling insecure in their positions or have had a bad day at work. Sonny told our audience to remember: “They chose you! If you don’t believe that, just go ask your manager.” 

Ayo actually did do this once during a period of low self-confidence at work. Her line manager told her that she was doing well, despite thinking otherwise. She told the audience to remember that that’s what your line manager is there for.  

“The perfect candidate doesn’t exist” – Sonny  

As for moving up in your creative career, Sonny said it is vital to step outside your comfort zone. “No one knows their job 100%, I’ve been here for 18 years and I still don’t know anything”, he said. He continued that therefore, when he’s hiring, he always hires 80% – he knows that no one is going to have every single skill needed but if the confidence and passion is there that will see you through.  

Rhianne agreed and explained that of course knowledge and skills are important, but the most important thing is how you fit into a team. If you work within an organisation that has many teams and you want to take a sideways step, Rhianne recommended utilising the network you have within the company and getting to know the roles and the team dynamics to help you. 

“There’s no set time frame! If you want to do it, it’ll happen” – Rhianne 

Finally, our audience asked our panel about the age-old problem of rejection. Rhianne stated that unfortunately, rejection is part of the industry and you do have to grow a thick skin however, she continued, there are lots of people who want to help you so make sure you keep making those connections. While Rawan suggested that “rejection can help you take a step back and reassess what you really want.” 

Thank you so much to our wonderful panel for their insights into their respective fields and highlighting the breadth of roles on offer in the creative industries in the North, as well as to our audience for coming along and asking such important questions!  

The second phase of our ‘The Verge’ research in December 2021 looked at changes in financial and job stability for people working in the creative industries as a result of the pandemic. Key findings included:

• Financial stability has declined – in May 2020 53% said they had enough money to live on versus 42% in 2021
• 45% said their mental health had been negatively impacted – rising to 64% amongst those with a disability
• 42% said their ability to save money had been negatively impacted
• 25% said it had negatively impacted their job security
• Over 10% have had to re-locate due to Covid-19 to find work – 48% re-located to London/the South-East showing how important it is for employers to support housing costs in the capital

But there was some positive news:

• A third (33% said their mental health had been positively impacted through greater flexibility and time at home
• A third (36%) said the pandemic had a positive impact in giving them more time for hobbies and interests outside work
• 30% said they felt their creativity had been positively impacted

Read in full here.

This Wednesday Creative Access partnered up with the one and only National Theatre to deliver a masterclass discussing how to navigate a career in theatre and the future of theatre both on and off stage. We were joined by Juliet Gilkes Romero, writer in residence at the National Theatre, Sara Bakhaty, Deputy Director of Marketing and Sales at the National Theatre and Ola Animashawun, who is a National Theatre associate, as well as connections dramaturg and co-founder and creative director of playwriting consultancy, Euphoric Ink. We were spoilt by their wealth of knowledge! The discussion, chaired by Lisa Jonas, assistant director of Business Planning and governance, provided an insight into a career within theatre and how the industry is growing from strength to strength after a long, hard two years of stagnation. 

We began by exploring the various routes our panel took into the sector, and with all members, this journey was not a linear one. Juliet came from a journalism background and maintained her love of writing by also joining writers’ groups, completing a masters and surrounding herself with like-minded people who were just as passionate about writing as she was. “There’s no straight line to this,” she says as she encouraged our audience to build resilience, “and there’s nowhere to hide on stage.” The importance of remaining true to yourself is a theme that continued through this masterclass, as we learnt just how your integrity can act as a magnet, or a beacon, shining to those who are willing to take a chance on your work. As a dramaturg, Ola’s role is vital in the process of bringing a script from paper to stage play. They are experts in the study of plays, musicals or operas and it is their job to provide the cast and crew with vital knowledge, research and interpretation for their works. He also sits on a board that discusses the wider programming at the theatre and is vocal about creating a strategy to address diversity within the sector. Having started out as an actor, Ola eventually found the right role for him, becoming an advisor, instead of being on stage. Sara also struggled to find the right fit, moving from a career in retail, initially into advertising agencies and latterly into theatre marketing. “It became apparent I had no passion for the things I was selling”, she told our audience, “then this role came up and it felt like a real natural transition.”  It is truly never too late to begin that change, and with the rise of the squiggly career, the working journey is no longer a straight line; instead, it’s quite common to change role, company and even career to find something that fits just right.  

Juliet shared an inspiring story about a play she wrote “At the Gates of Gaza”, which took seven years to go into production. She went on to talk about the play’s first bad review. “I wanted to shave my head and hide under the covers” she continued but stressed the importance of remembering the people who did support her and the impact her play had. She then shared a poignant quote from author Hilary Mantel; “The most helpful quality a writer can cultivate is self-confidence – arrogance if you can manage it,” finishing on the note that you may have to believe in yourself way before the world does. Ola agreed, encouraging us to “keep the faith”, especially with freelancing and the issues that can sometimes arise. The instability means it’s necessary to have a fallback option, but this shouldn’t deter you from theatre if it’s truly your passion. Juliet adds “get serious about your finances” as there may be times when work is a little quieter, and you will still have bills to pay. Both Ola and Juliet wouldn’t change their careers though, as their love of culture, theatre and playwriting allows a richness, and pride that almost jumps off them as they speak. 

When asked about marketing in theatre, Sara had lots of gems to share. “The fundamentals are the same” she begins, “as you still identify your market and create a campaign, but it begins to get a little more complex.” The hardest thing, she admits, is capturing the essence of a 90-minute play into a short Instagram advert or a poster you might see on the tube. A marketing campaign not only has to incite interest but pique it enough so that seats are filled at the play. When the average attention span is 8.5 seconds (a goldfish’s is 9!) this can take a little work. Sara also says it’s important to think about the existing experiences, and how they can be used and translated for new work. Marketing in theatre is a fantastic opportunity for those who don’t want to be on stage or write, but are still passionate about the sector, and creative enough to find new and innovative ways to share and spread their excitement. Its career trajectory is wide, with many entry positions. Although it’s competitive, Sara tells us not to give up! If you can’t find a direct marketing role within the theatre, find a marketing role in another adjacent sector. “Sometimes it’s the sidesteps which are the most interesting”. She finishes by telling us “It’s never too late” as she made her career change at 30 and is now super excited to come to work as she is surrounded by culture, music and art that she finds interesting.  

We finished our evening by touching on the future of theatre, the still very present issues surrounding diversity and the moves that need to be made to create an industry that reflects our society. Sara openly admitted that theatre needs to do better, especially surrounding progression. She’s passionate about “continuing to nurture the talent” as there are a few entry-level roles, but this means nothing if retention is poor. Ola agrees, advising us to look at the organisations and hold them accountable. If you walk into a room where no one looks like you, be prepared to ask why, and question any answers you aren’t content with. If we aren’t prepared to ask uncomfortable questions, diversity may take a lot longer than necessary. “It’s never over till it’s over” Juliet adds, “we are always on the verge of having improvements taken away.” Theatre has made strides, but the walk is long, and we must be prepared to fight to make space in places where we too can belong.  

We’d like to give a special thanks to Lisa Jonas and the National Theatre for hosting our first in-person masterclass in two years since the pandemic. We’d also like to extend a special thank you to our amazing panel and all of you who attended. We hope you enjoyed it, and we’ll soon be back with some more in-person masterclasses – hope to see you there!   

In February 2022, we commissioned our first Thrive survey to provide a snapshot of candidates’ confidence and optimism about their career progression and to understand what stage employers in the sector are at in their diversity, equity and inclusion plans. The survey was conducted across our own Creative Access community, employer partners and the wider industry. Key findings included:

Candidates:

• 69% of candidates report seeing opportunities for career progression
• 85% report having the necessary skills and knowledge to progress their career

Employers:

• 69% employers reporting an increase in representativeness of workforce

• 36% reporting increased equity in progression and rewards