We conducted research into the expectations and ambitions of over 800 young people looking to work in the creative industries post-pandemic – the first generation to do so. The research revealed:

• When considering where they would like to work, this generation claim to be more influenced by an organisation’s reputation and how well they look after employee wellbeing rather than the salary they are offering (12%)
• When looking at specific roles, the job description sounding inspiring and challenging is more important than salary
• 82% of respondents are expecting to be promoted within the first year of their first role
• Just a quarter are quite or very optimistic about finding a role post-education, with well over half (57%) who are not optimistic

You can read the full press release here.

If you don’t have many contacts in the creative industries, mentoring is a great way to gain expert advice for getting ahead in your career. Former ITV x Creative Access mentee, Wakai Muganiwah talks about how her mentoring experience shaped her career aspirations and helped her gain confidence and the skills for applying to internships and roles in the TV industry.  

For a very long time I have known my desire to work within the media and communication industry. Yet, as a University of Leeds journalism student, I had been confused on where to start my journey and how to begin filtering towards my dream career.  

While I had known about Creative Access for years prior to my mentorship, I had never truly looked at the incredible opportunities it had to offer. I was slightly lost in an abundance of career aspirations and goals, so when I came across the Creative Access mentoring scheme in the summer of 2021, it felt like a perfect opportunity to get clarity on where I was going in life and when I was allocated Paul Moore, the Group Corporate Affairs and Communications Director at ITV, I was ecstatic. I was surprised at how perfect the pairing seemed. A communications director who had been in a variety of disciplines would be extremely helpful in guiding me towards narrowing down the career I desired.  

Initially, I had been extremely nervous to begin this mentorship scheme, but the ease and the support I received throughout the process, from both my mentor and the Creative Access team alleviated all of my preliminary anxiety. Over the six months of mentoring over zoom, I can truly say the advice and guidance I received was invaluable. We completed a variety of tasks and exercises that helped me begin exploring my passions more in order to compact them into tangible careers.  

• We completed CV workshops, where Paul guided me in improving my CV to entice employers and capitalise on my skills and work experiences. Through these workshops I can truly say my CV improved immensely and helped me acquire some of the incredible placements and internships I have today.  
• Practice/mock interviews were extremely helpful in preparing me for future interviews. We practiced under the guise that I was interviewing for a role in media and communications and my mentor acted as an employer in a well-known media organization. After the exercise I was given constructive feedback on ways to improve my interview techniques.  
• Guidance on how to write a cover letter, something that I can truly say became one of the core elements to the success of my applications. I had previously not recognised the significance of cover letters when submitting job applications, particularly paired with a tailored CV.  

It goes without saying how lucky I was to get this help in the aftermath of the pandemic. Like so many in my position, finding such incredible placements felt intangible because of the socio-economic effect of the pandemic. Several months on, I have two 3-week placements and a year internship with Discovery – a role that I applied to through Creative Access. I would not have had the confidence to apply for the amazing opportunities I got had it not been for my mentor’s encouragement, from his help with my CV and cover letters to the interview exercises.  

I applied for this mentorship with the aim of guiding me into the right direction to begin starting my career and guiding me on what else I can do alongside my studies to begin my career, yet I got so much more. I honestly cannot express how much of an incredible opportunity it was to talk to and get guidance from an industry expert. These schemes are important because they allow students and young people like me the opportunity to be seen!  

Despite applying the scheme on a whim and not expecting too much, I received so much more than I could have asked for. Not only did I acquire an incredible contact, but I gained an extremely enriching experience. I never understood the value of having a mentor to help guide you through the extremely confusing industrial work. It is not easy to start a career in the creative industry, but I was fortunate enough to get such an amazing advisor.  

The Creative Access mentoring schemes have created an enormous difference to my personal and professional life. It has given me insight and advice that I would have otherwise never acquired and it has cemented Creative Access’ determination to help people like me.  

By April Brown – programmes manager, Creative Access

For Carers Week 2022 we want to remind our community about the findings of our Young Carers research and encourage employers to support carers in the workforce. April Brown who is both a carer and programmes manager here at Creative Access shares the benefits carers can bring to the creative workforce and the steps employers can take to make it more inclusive for them.

Have you ever cared for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without your support? There are over one million young people in the UK who are trying to navigate their personal, academic and/or professional lives while facing the daily pressures of caring for someone who cannot look after themselves. Many of these young people are now doing so with increased pressure due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Since 2012, Creative Access has been working to enable people from communities that are under-represented in the creative industries, to access careers, progress and reach leadership. We’re aware of the numerous barriers people face when working in the sector and we wanted to raise awareness today of the young carers and young adult carers in our community who deserve to be supported.

• 58% of young carers are caring for longer as a result of the pandemic and lockdown and are spending on average an additional ten hours a week or more on their caring role
• 78% of young adult carers aged 18 to 25 were experiencing an increased concern for their futures since Coronavirus

Our Young Carers survey and focus group was conducted to coincide with Young Carers Action Day on 14^th March to help understand the impacts of caring responsibilities on emerging creative professionals who identify as carers and how we can better support their needs in the workplace.

This year, many creatives have started to transition to hybrid or in-person working practices after working in isolation for the last two years. Since 2020 we have had to adapt to social distancing, support bubbles and numerous lockdowns juggling domestic life with remote work and/or learning simultaneously. This exceptional period initially allowed us to slow down, reflect and shift our approaches to work and life, with some beneficial side effects. In December, we released our updated research highlighting the impact of covid-19 on under-represented communities with 26% of participants citing flexible working as a positive outcome of the pandemic, something that the majority of our young carers also identified as a huge help. It is important to remember that for many employees and freelancers this flexibility is still an integral factor towards being able to cope with work and caring responsibilities and that many of the people being cared for are still vulnerable and shielding. The pandemic isn’t over yet. It’s also important for employers to be aware of their duties under the Equality Act 2010 which states that a carer cannot be discriminated against on the basis of their association with a disabled person.  

In the same vein, industry events have been adapted over the last two years to accommodate virtual audiences which allowed for greater opportunities to engage with local, national, and global communities. It would be a great disservice to those who aren’t physically able to participate if this wasn’t continued; especially as we have all become so familiar with virtual platforms like Zoom. 80% of the carers we surveyed felt like they had missed out on opportunities in their career due to caring responsibilities and 60% said they were unable to network or attend industry events.

Our findings also highlighted the unique skills and attributes that young carers can bring to the workplace with participants stating their empathy, time management, awareness of accessibility, patience, and crisis management abilities, as well as practical skills such as first aid training and Covid awareness. 

Unlike parents, many carers are invisible in the workforce, reluctant to discuss their personal situation due to stigma and unaware of the support available to them. 30% of our respondents felt like they weren’t supported in the workplace and 10% couldn’t work due to their caring responsibilities. Caring is often less predictable than child-care. Flexible working policies need to include the flexibility to change arrangements as caring responsibilities change. They also need to recognise the possibility of emergencies arising.

• Implement flexible working policies compliant with the current law, and allow as much flexibility for change as is consistent with business needs
• Review all your employment policies to ensure they are ‘carer friendly’
• Quote carers specifically in policies and other documentation or create a policy specifically for carers
• Nominate a key contact in the workplace
• Set up an internal carers group or forum – to allow carers to meet together occasionally

Michael Irwin – Co-Chair of Tate’s Parents & Carers Network upholds the value of an internal carers group:

They can tell you what will really make a difference to their ability to do a good job for you and keep up with their caring responsibilities at the same time. There are often small and inexpensive things employers can do to help – such as:

• Allowing carers to leave mobile telephones on in meetings in case of emergencies
• Flexing start and finish times to help people deal with caring commitments before and after work
• Allowing carers time and access to a telephone to check on the person they care for from time to time during work hours

Surveys, focus groups and employee carer groups are all useful ways to find out what the carers you employ would value.

For more employer advice and ways to get involved in Carers Week 2022 visit:

Carers Week: https://www.carersweek.org/ways-to-get-involved/for-employers/

Employers For Carers: https://www.employersforcarers.org/

Carers UK: https://carers.org/working-and-learning/how-employers-can-support-carers

Creative Access, a leading social enterprise specialising in diversity and inclusion, surveyed 800 of this year’s school-leavers, students and graduates to find out what the first generation to enter the workforce post-pandemic – so called “Generation Post-Pandemic” or “Gen P-P” – expect from their future careers in the creative industries.

The research reveals that this incoming generation are most influenced by an organisation’s values, commitment to employee wellbeing and inclusive culture, when looking for their first role, placing more importance on these factors than on salary.

The top five factors influencing where “Gen P-P” wants to work are:

1. Employer’s reputation as a good place to work
2. Training and support on offer
3. Employer’s commitment to employee wellbeing
4. Organisation’s values
5. Offering a good salary

For 71% of Black, Asian and ethnically-diverse young people surveyed, though, diversity of the team ranked as the most important influence.

When looking for their first role, the research shows this generation place more importance on the role being challenging, interesting or inspiring (23%) than on the attached salary (19%). Meanwhile, an accessible, inclusive, achievable job description was most important to 16%.

The pandemic, the impact of Black Lives Matter and a rising awareness surrounding mental health have impacted what this generation of workers expect from their new employer in the first 6 months:

1. 36% said they expect skills training
2. 24% expect a mentor
3. 17% expect the ability to work flexibly and from home
4. 16% expect training around diversity and wellbeing

The future’s bright

Despite the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis, the survey found that overall this generation is optimistic about their chances of finding a role – with over half (54%) expecting to find a job within a year of leaving education. Overall, “Gen P-P” is also optimistic about progressing quickly in their new careers with 82% expecting a promotion from their first-entry level within the first year to two years. However, this expectation for fast promotion drops to just over half (57%) for people from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Leading the way

Looking further ahead in their careers, 4 in 10 (39%) of those surveyed expect to be in a senior position after 10 years in the creative industries. However, surprisingly only 16% expect to be in an influential leadership position, 13% to be self-employed or working freelance, and only 12% expect to be running their own business. This hints at wider trends surrounding the death of the ‘dream job’ and an increasing prioritisation of mental health. “Gen P-P” seem to aspire to careers and employment which will put their mental health first and offer stability.

Josie Dobrin, CEO of Creative Access, says:  

“Despite everything that is happening in the world at the moment, it’s positive to see how optimistic the next generation is about their future careers in the creative industries. It is heartening to see the agency they have in expecting and not being afraid to ask for skills training, mentoring and career progression support from their employers. However, our findings clearly show that this optimism is not universal and is not shared at the same level by those from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds. To attract and retain diverse new talent coming into the industry, it’s critical that employers show tangible progress in diversity, equity and inclusion and commit to providing mental health and skills training.”

We’re excited to announce that disability and diversity consultant Simon Minty will be joining the Creative Access team of trainers. He’ll be delivering workshops which support our employer partners to broaden their understanding of disability in the workplace and beyond; starting with an open workshop – Disability 101 – on June 9th.

The workshop will include discussing best practice, reasonable adjustments, approaching conversations around disability at work, and dealing with microaggressions and ableism.

Simon has delivered public speaking, training and consultancy in diversity and inclusion since early 2000s and helps improve the portrayal of disabled people in television and on stage.

He is a non-executive director of Motability Operations, is on the board of the National Theatre and co-chair of StopGap Dance. He is an Ambassador to the Business Disability Forum and Business Disability International. He also helped establish the Disability Media Alliance Project in California.

Simon co-hosts two podcasts, BBC Ouch! and The Way We Roll, he regularly reviews The Papers for BBC News, and in 2021 he joined the cast of Channel 4’s Gogglebox. He also co-produced and performed in the Edinburgh Fringe comedy show Abnormally Funny People.

In 2016 GQ named Simon Minty as one of the 100 best connected men in the UK. He has featured on the Power 100 List of disabled people for many years. He has personal experience of disability being of short stature and limited mobility.

Disability 101 Open Workshop led by Simon Minty

Thursday 9th June, 2 – 3:30pm

Sign up for the open workshop here.

If you are interested in organising disability training for your team or organisation, please contact us here.

Curated by Arlo, trainee communications assistant at Creative Access.

At Creative Access, we believe it’s important to uplift and support the trans people around you. We asked trans people working in the creative industries for their opinions, concerns and advice about being trans in the workplace.

Arlo: Being trans definitely influences my creative side, you will always find references and inspiration to queer culture through my work. I think that’s down to the sense of safety and community I am fortunate enough to have found in queer spaces.

Loke: I definitely think being trans influences my creativity (and vice versa). For me a large element of my creativity is about the making process – which I feel draws parallels to the way being trans is about making yourself.

Arlo: Workplaces can do a lot to support their trans employees such as pronoun pins/email sign offs, gender neutral bathrooms, sanitary products in both men’s and women’s bathrooms, offering legal and preferred name boxes on forms and documentation/systems. Advocating for their employees would be really helpful too in terms of customer/client interactions and educating staff.

Loke: I think a good way to support trans workers is to ask that all staff include their pronouns on email signatures or zoom profiles, so it becomes a normalised thing. It’s also useful to have open space for conversation about being trans (but not asking invasive questions unprompted of course.) Perhaps in some cases if a workplace is in the space to aid a trans person to get corrected documents or other things, that support would be really lovely too.

Arlo: Co-workers can best advocate for their trans colleagues by asking them and checking with them how they’d like to be referred and defending/correcting others even in the absence of their trans colleagues.

Loke: Co-workers specifically both listening to the trans people they work with, and being willing to do their own research, sets a really good basis for allyship. In a customer service front, correcting customers on pronouns can also be really good.

 Arlo: Every trans person navigates the workplace in a different way. Some people choose to go stealth (a person who passes as their desired gender and doesn’t share that they are trans with others) at work and some don’t. I personally would only discuss trans issues with people I know I would be safe to do so with. Having people around me in my work environment that can and do advocate for me in my absence and presence is so important for me as sometimes I do not always have the emotional capacity to continuously correct others when they get my pronouns wrong or misgender me.

Loke: I think it’s good, if you’re confident enough, to actually mention and ask about how being trans will be in the workplace when being interviewed. It can keep you potentially from taking on a job you might not feel safe at. I’d also say take it in small steps once you’re in the workplace. I knew my co-workers were all safe, but I was still reading what level of things I could share.

Arlo: I have found the creative industries to be the largest gathering of queer and trans individuals – so much more so than any other field. The industry, while still dominated by men, is much more saturated with like-minded and open people who create a safe and comfortable environment to flourish in.

Loke: I think the creative industries are a good place because generally speaking it attracts more accepting people/other lgbt+ folk – which just works out to make it a safer place. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that it can be a tough sector in terms of salaries – which I’m acutely aware is a troublesome issue from many for trans folk.

Arlo: Personally, I haven’t encountered many challenges as a trans person, but I have encountered many opportunities for myself and other minorities, such as minority-specific communities/workshops that help people connect with each other and network with others in the industry.

Loke: I think there are definitely opportunities opening up in the creative industries for trans people. People want to see themselves represented more within art and media and it’s better to hire a trans person to make art/content reflecting trans people than asking others to do so. I know some artists who help illustrate for trans-specific educational sources; stuff like that is definitely popping up more and more.

For their article exploring ‘Are diversity recruitment schemes successful in increasing inclusion and equality in the workplace?’, Hiyah Zaidi spoke to Creative Access, including our director of recruitment Anoushka Dossa, about the use of positive action schemes and how they can influence diversity within the workplace.

Anoushka stated:

Read the article in full here.

As part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we at Creative Access want to highlight the lived experiences of neurodivergent people within the workplace and the strengths and skills they bring to their roles.

We sat down with CA’s employer training trainee Simba, to chat about what adjustments work for her as someone with ADHD, and her top tips for neurodivergent people in the workplace.

As someone with ADHD, one thing that often gets brought up is time management. You can be perceived as lazy, or not prioritising correctly, or in general, your work ethic can be questioned if you’re not coming in on time, or they wonder how serious you are as an employee because you can’t meet certain time expectations. However, I think a strength that neurodiverse people can bring to roles off the back of that misconception is that we have the ability to hyper-focus. That’s a noticeable strength. It’s expected that you’re not necessarily hardworking, or that you can’t apply focus to a task, but you can.

As a person with ADHD, another strength we bring to the table is socialising. We have really good oral abilities; we enjoy socialising, we enjoy networking. Sometimes I feel like we’re like bridges to other people.

And another strength is our visual abilities – neurodiverse people in general share that strength. We tend to be able to see things in big pictures, or mind-map, or visually see things.

On top of that, enthusiasm and optimism. In the general workplace, if you’re used to not being the ‘best’, you have to offer optimism to keep you going. You have to keep that optimism and that drive which is really valuable in the workplace.

You also think outside the box. An opportunity might come where your skills might work well for a task in another department and you can then use that to get closer to your desired career goals.

Finally, I have so many interests and passions. I can put my hand in many different bags! You can take us out of our comfort zone and I think we can seize the challenge and have a level of enthusiasm and problem-solving skills. It might not be approached in the way that’s expected, but we’ll find a way.

More than average regular check-ins with my line manager.

Sometimes I can get lost in a task or the opposite, [and] lose focus on a task. I have a really good relationship with my line manager and it is super helpful. It means that no matter what, I can go to her about a series of things. She also sends me emails after a verbal discussion. I know dyslexic people also have difficulties with taking on verbal conversations and making sure you have all the details relevant to the task.

Avoid glaring lights and find a quiet place to work

It will help you stay focused. I’ve not personally had to do this, but it is ok to ask for a quiet space so that you can focus. In the workplace, you might be prone to anxiety or agitation if there’s a lot of lights and a lot of noise. Lots of neurodivergent people have an issue with sensory overload like glaring lights and overhearing other conversations, so a good adjustment is a quiet room with dim lights.

Fidget spinners and spinny rings!

Alongside this, I have other things, like a lavender bag because I stim off smells. People stim off different things, such as music. I just sniff the lavender bag and it calms me down. Same with my spinny rings, if I’m in a meeting and I need to move, I have my spinny ring. At work, if I’ve been stuck on a task too long, I’ll feel in my body that I need to move.

Make sure that you go on regular walks

Even going on walks around the office, exploring different floors.

Snacks!

Have snacks with you! People with ADHD also crave things that are high in dopamine: foods high in sugar and saturated fats, basically things that give you energy really fast. This is helpful but can ultimately lead to a crash, so you should try to go for nutritious but high complex carbohydrate foods to keep your sugar levels at a decent level.

Nutritious foods like oily fish, nuts, seeds, berries, leafy greens… I also take fish oil tablets which is meant to be really good for focusing. The ways I’ve tried to manage my ADHD is through supplements and snacks, Vitamin D as well.

Set alarms

I set alarms to remind me to eat – sometimes with ADHD and autism, you can forget when you’re hungry. The alarms also remind me when it’s time to focus on something else. They help keep you involved in your day, so you don’t get lost in a task and also can help how long it takes you to do a task.

Considering our strengths in visual mind-mapping skills, an adjustment an employer can make is giving someone 2 computer screens or a large computer screen so that everything is visible and it reduces the burden on your memory. For me in life, it’s out of sight out of mind so I like to have a visual idea of where everything is. Your own personal desk-space is also another reasonable adjustment so you can see your own belongings and what’s available for you.

An employer can also understand that someone with ADHD might need regular movement, and that not being viewed as weird. An adjustment could be giving someone ideas and spaces where they can have those times to release the burden of sensory overload.

I understand that in a business you can’t be late to everything, but having an employer who understands when you might be late reduces the anxiety and that that they might struggle with time management, and are probably very aware of that struggle can be really helpful.

Things like visual prompts and colourful stationary; a visual calendar; a notebook that you colour-code; checklists; notes; traffic light system in terms of things you prioritise in your day and your line manager breaking down tasks can all also be great adjustments. There’s also loads of softwares like Grammarly and text-to-speech softwares.

Another thing to bear in mind is, lots of people with ADHD thrive when they can do a couple of things at once. I’m able to take things more if I’m doing multiple things at once. It can feel a bit limiting to do that in the workplace, as it might look a bit unserious. But if I’m able to use my fidget spinner, for example, whilst in a conversation, I can offer up more ideas. So, a certain level of understanding that not everyone has to sit at a desk to be 100% focused.

Disclosure isn’t necessary. It really depends on the working environment you’re at. It worked well for me but some businesses might not have the structure to support you and your disclosure ends up being redundant. But if you feel like the symptoms of your neurodivergence are pervasive in that they affect you on a day-to-day basis, then disclosure is a safe space. Ultimately, it is better not to mask these things. Don’t have fear that your difficulties are bad personality traits.  

You have strengths and skills to bring forward and it’s ok to say, “this is where I’m strong and this is where I’m not”. We’re all motivated and inspired by different tasks and activities.

Go to someone you trust and raise creating a Wellness Action Plan with them. The way I could disclose my neurodivergence was through my Wellness Action Plan. You discuss what tell-tales sign you give off when you’re upset. I know that according to my ADHD how that would translate. This is relevant for everyone, not just neurodivergent people. 

It has benefitted me in regards to delegating tasks, my line manager knows what tasks are well-fitting for me and which ones I may struggle with so she can assist me in those areas. It makes me feel more comfortable to be myself, to move around, my mannerisms… Everyone should be free to be themselves no matter if you have neurodivergence or whether you’re culturally different, or any of those things. But it gives me a sense of freedom to come as my authentic self – I’m never questioned, or mocked. I feel appreciated for those things.

These things oscillate, even with ADHD symptoms, there’s some weeks where I feel completely neurotypical. For anyone, in regards to mental health or their personal circumstance, these are all things that are constantly oscillating. Someone neurotypical, on a bad mental health month, can show symptoms that might overlap with someone with autism, or ADHD… That’s why I love the idea of Wellness Action Plan – someone who’s struggling with their mental health can disclose and ask for reasonable adjustments. Having those adjustments in the workplace help everyone.

If you are being discriminated against, remember this is illegal. Under the equality act 2010, it’s a legal requirement to have reasonable adjustments made in the workplace. No one can do everything, so have faith in the ability that you have. It’s within your rights to ask for support and support in how you can develop.

Advocacy!

Advocate for your colleagues when they have difficulties. One thing I feel blessed with both my 2 past line managers is that I was shy and nervous to talk about difficulties and sometimes they would send an email on my behalf to explain I was struggling and feeling shy. But it goes both ways.  

Making everyone aware

In your own department, it can be fine as you know the way of working and you have your own style of working, but sometimes someone from the wider team might come in and not know. A colleague explaining to them your style of working and your adjustments can be really helpful.

Ask questions

If you see someone looks agitated, you could say “Hey I’ve noticed this – tell me if I’m wrong – but I wanted to ask you if this is the case?”. That’s how I’ve approached it with colleagues who’ve had bad mental health days before.

Ask if there’s any way you can adjust

If there’s a group project and you can tell someone’s struggling, ask how you can assist or do it differently. Ask if you can adjust your working styles to work better together. Giving the option of being able to have a verbal or written conversation, maybe we could talk on the phone or do a visual mind-map. Give them the option to approach tasks in different ways.

• Plan your journey the day before. Give yourself visual cues, what landmarks might you see on your way there?
• Pack your bag before
• Plan your outfit
• Sleep hygiene is really important: if you struggle with waking up, put your phone far away from your bed so you have to get up to get it in the morning might be helpful
• Body double: it’s not always possible, but if you find having someone present while you do a task helpful, you could find yourself a buddy or just ask someone if you can work together because you find it easier
• Soothing techniques: for me it’s the spinnies, but meditation can also help.
• Eat breakfast!

Creative Access and the University of Manchester’s CoDE report has been discussed in Arts Professional. The article focuses on the findings that fewer ethnically diverse creatives are employed since the pandemic and are experiencing heightened levels of financial instability.

Read here.

Creative Access, the leading social enterprise in progressive career development support, has found that 80% of young carers working in the creative industries have missed out on career opportunities and a third (30%) have also decided not to apply for a role due to their caring responsibilities. Meanwhile, a further 80% of young carers also claimed their health and wellbeing had been impacted by caring responsibilities.

A young carer is defined as someone under the age of 25 who cares for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support.* To coincide with #YoungCarersActionDay on 16^th March, Creative Access conducted research and a focus group with both current and young carers to gage how this often over-looked and under-represented group can be better supported in the creative industries.

Key findings from the survey included:

• 70% of participants were under the age of 20 when they first started caring for someone
• 80% felt like caring had an impact on their health and wellbeing
• 80% felt like they missed out on opportunities
• 65% decided to not apply for a new role because of their caring responsibilities 
• 60% felt like they were unable to network or attend industry events 
• 30% felt like they weren’t supported in the workplace

The statistic that 70% of the participants had started caring for someone under the age of 20 is particularly shocking. Members of the focus group explained how caring at such a young – and pivotal – age actually led to a lack of opportunities such as missing out on networking and industry events due to caring responsibilities and financial constraints.

In response to the call to action surrounding young carer’s needs within the workplace, Creative Access has created a resource directed at young carers themselves on how to navigate their caring responsibilities in the workplace, but also so employers can better understand their needs.

One member of the focus group encapsulated how employers can make this change:

The pandemic has disproportionately affected under-represented groups in the creative industries, and young carers in particular have been profoundly impacted by the past 2 years. A Carers Trust survey found that 78% of young adult carers aged 18 to 25 were experiencing increased concern for their futures since Coronavirus. Despite this negative impact, one positive aspect of the pandemic referenced by the participants was the benefits of working from home. As one participant emphasised:

However, young carers expressed worries about returning to the office post-pandemic, as well as non-inclusive work cultures within the creative industries, particularly within TV:

In spite of this, Creative Access’ findings did highlight the unique skills and attributes that young carers can bring to the workplace. The participants frequently cited their empathy, time management, patience and crisis management abilities, as well as practical skills such as first aid training and Covid awareness.  Of the positive attributes that young carers bring to the workplace, one participant said:

Josie Dobrin, CEO of Creative Access says: “At Creative Access, we are constantly striving to ensure better representation and support for people from communities under-represented in the sector. As today’s research shows, young carers are a group who face specific challenges and are not currently getting the recognition and support they need at work. We are hopeful that following our findings, employers will recognise the urgent need to create inclusive workplaces that support carers and the valuable perspective this group bring to the creative industries.”

*Cited from Carer’s Trust: https://carers.org/about-caring/about-young-carers

The pandemic has worsened pre-existing inequalities in the creative and cultural industries by causing job insecurity and financial instability among ethnically diverse people employed in the sector, according to a new report. This is particularly concerning given the underrepresentation of these groups within the industries.

Experts from The University of Manchester’s Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity partnered with career support organisation Creative Access to collect data on the experiences of ethnically diverse workers – and those aspiring to work – in the industries.

The researchers found that only 29% of respondents were in employment a year after the first lockdowns – a huge drop of 22 percentage points – and 48% of respondents said they are either becoming financially unstable or need immediate assistance to pay their bills.

The overwhelming majority of ethnically diverse creative workers report feeling anxious or worried, with insecurity being a major contributing factor – 70% of all respondents were worried about their job security, and a staggering 89% of workers with over 10 years of experience said the pandemic had made their job less secure.

One respondent told the researchers that they were unable to claim money from the SEISS [Self-Employment Income Support Scheme] despite having no income – they were existing on Universal Credit, which was barely enough to cover their outgoings. They said their mental health had plummeted from not being able to secure any kind of work.

58% of respondents said that their primary source of income had changed, and alarmingly, 30% of these said they had left the creative and cultural industries for another sector – this suggests a risk that as the industry recovers from the aftermath of the pandemic, it may be even less diverse than before.

37% of respondents said their careers had been affected by discrimination because of their ethnic or racial identity, but many reported that 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests had only seen limited subsequent improvements despite many employers declaring their intent to reduce discrimination and increase diversity. Only 14% agreed that more paid opportunities were available as a result of the protests, and these were also likely to be junior positions.

The report’s authors are calling for a host of changes at creative and cultural organisations to tackle these issues including the adoption of employment targets, guidelines for recruitment practices and financial incentives for organisations which develop targeted schemes for graduates from ethnically diverse backgrounds who have lost out as a result of the pandemic.

“Our findings are extremely worrying because they demonstrate that ethnically diverse creatives and cultural workers are having to deal with the severe impact of Covid on employment in the creative and cultural industries, on top of pre-existing racism, and indicates a potentially lost generation of ethnically diverse talent who are struggling to enter the sector,” said Roaa Ali from the Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity. “We believe that the pandemic has significantly compounded issues of ethnic and racial inequality in the sector, and we are calling for urgent and specific actions championed by both industry and policy decision makers to address this – this, too, is integral to the levelling up agenda.”

“The creative and cultural industries were already the site of fundamental race and ethnic inequalities, and our findings suggest that the pandemic has deepened them,” said Professor Bridget Byrne from the Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity. “This sector is critical not only for its contribution to the economy, but also because it shapes the cultural life of the country – this is why structural racism faced within the sector is so concerning.”

“We need action within individual organisations, but also more broadly at a policy level to both collect the data needed to track ethnic inequalities and also to implement proactive actions to ensure that ethnically diverse people have fair access to training, jobs and promotion within the sector.”

“Clearly, the Covid pandemic hit everyone who works in creative and cultural industries – but it also exasperated existing inequalities in this sector,” said Dr Anamik Saha from the Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity and Goldsmiths, University of London. “While media and cultural organisations were quick to pronounce their support for the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred during the pandemic, our research found this translated into relatively few new opportunities for Black people in particular.”

“Our hope is that in shining a light on their circumstances, media and cultural organisations can better support creative workers from minoritised communities, ensuring fair and equal treatment during these difficult times.”

“On the second anniversary of the pandemic, we are seeing yet further proof of the disproportionate impact of covid on people from groups under-represented in the creative industries in terms of ethnicity. With the huge loss of funding, income and job opportunities in the sector, it’s critical that organisations like ours work with employer partners to ensure that people from these communities do not lose out on career access or progression as a result,” says Josie Dobrin, founder and CEO, Creative Access.

Full report: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/212029276/Impact_of_covid_and_blm_on_ethnically_diverse_creatives_and_cultural_workers_report.pdf

‘The impact of Covid-19 and BLM on Black, Asian and ethnically diverse creatives and cultural workers’ R Ali, S Guirand, B Byrne, A Saha and H Taylor, Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity, March 2022.

Watch the recording of ‘On and off screen diversity: Why does it matter?‘ an event held on Thursday, 11 November 2021. Speakers: Roaa Ali (CoDE), Sadia Habib and Shaf Choudry (The Riz Test) and Josie Dobrin (Creative Access).

The 2022 grant recipients of the Mo Siewcharran Fund, administered by Creative Access, are Saqi Books, The Reader and the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme. Each organisation will be taking on a paid intern from a Black, Asian or ethnically-diverse background because of the Fund.

The Fund was set up by John Seaton in loving memory of his wife, Mo, who was the director of Nielson BookData.

Read BookBrunch’s article in full here.