Despite 2023’s challenges, Creative Access made remarkable strides in supporting under-represented talent directly and helping organisations within the creative industries on their DE&I journey. With the writers’ strike and financial hurdles affecting 68% of film and TV workers, Creative Access stepped up to provide critical support & development opportunities across the creative economy.

• Mentoring programmes: 418 participants
• Career development support: 312 people
• Careers advice and training: 4773 individuals
• Increased confidence: 84% of individuals
• Boosted career optimism: 90% of individuals
• Enhanced knowledge and skills: 87% of individuals
• Expanded professional networks: 64% of individuals

Join us in celebrating these achievements and explore how our efforts are transforming the creative economy.

Browse and download the full Creative Access Impact Report 2023-2024 here.

Our mental wellbeing is as important as our physical wellbeing; it can affect our overall happiness at work and at home and employers should take steps to support their staff with both. To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week, we wanted to share some of the steps we take at Creative Access to support the wellbeing of our team.

Here at Creative Access, we encourage our staff to fill in a wellness action plan when they join. This is an opportunity to share any mental or physical health issues they may have or share more generally what negatively and positively impacts their mental health. The plan is discussed with their manager and the employee can share and discuss strategies that help their mental health. The plan is reviewed and updated regularly.

Once a month, we invite our team to lead a wellbeing activity of their choice at the end of our company meetings. Previous activities have included sharing positive affirmations, mindfulness, a mini book club and sharing our favourite poems. These sessions are fun and relaxed, they help with team bonding and raise morale throughout the team.

Our wellness working group is an open forum for our staff to share their ideas on how to improve our working environment. We discuss topics such as resilience, team morale and creating new policies, for example, organising team bonding activities.

We hold regular training sessions for our team on mental health and other key topics, so that everyone feels confident in talking about and handling sensitive topics and issues in the workplace. These are the same sessions we offer as open workshops and bespoke training for our employer partners. If you would like to find out more about the sessions we offer or join an open workshop please click here.

We regularly share external resources with our staff to support their mental health and wellbeing. These include links to websites like Mind and Rethink as well as information about helplines. This is so our staff can get the specialised help and information they need that we may not be able to provide.

We recognise that when it comes to supporting mental wellbeing, there is always more that can be done. That is why we cultivate an open company culture that allows our staff to suggest ways to improve our practices.

Click here to contact us if you would like to find out more about how you could introduce a similar open and supportive environment in the workplace.

Freelancers are all too often the lifeblood and the lifesavers of a creative organisation. They’re the flexible extra resource we bring in when the workload suddenly increases and there’s no time (or budget) to hire; they’re individuals with incredible specialist skills who can change your organisation but you could never afford to hire permanently; they’re the crew on a theatre or TV production who make mind-blowing, award-winning work or in the case of many sectors in the creative industries, like film and TV, they are quite literally your entire workforce.

And yet, as Creative Access’ freelancer report shows, many employers are not treating their freelancers in this way. They are treating them as ‘other’ to their permanent employees; investing in training or wellbeing for everyone except their freelancers or worse, claiming to create a culture of ‘belonging’ that includes everyone except the large proportion of individuals not on permanent contracts.

If you have a creative organisation, at some point you will need freelancers. And here is our best practice for how to attract, retain and support the best freelancers in the business:

• Being a freelancer can be especially hard on your mental health
• Employers can play an important role in supporting freelancers with their mental health and wellbeing by opening up access to training and employee assistance programmes to freelancers

• 78% of freelancers in our survey said professional training was one of the most important areas employers and industry bodies can support them
• Ensure your freelancers can access all of your internal training
• Really progressive employers are now offering freelancers a stipend for further professional training – it’s definitely one way to ensure the best freelance talent will remain loyal to you over your competitors
• Or there may be professional training that your team could provide freelancers such as personal brand building, legal or financial management training

• For any freelancer working with you for more than a few weeks, they should be allocated a line manager, who should check-in with them regularly and provide performance reviews as they would with a permanent employee
• You could also consider offering your freelancers a mentor through Creative Access

• If you are truly building an inclusive culture you can’t segregate employees based on their employment contract
• Freelancers should be included in all social events, if you celebrate birthdays in your organisation make sure theirs is marked too
• Make it clear you will make reasonable adjustments for disabled freelancers – 91% of disabled freelancers in our survey highlighted this was an issue with employers

• Having a strong and growing network is critical for freelancers to find new projects and earn money
• Look at where you could help by writing testimonials for them on Linked-In or for their website or introduce them to people in your own network
• Showcase the work they’ve done for you on your organisation’s channels and name check them

Read the findings from our freelancer report: Freedom or working for free? Freelancers in the creative economy.

Young Carer’s Action Day is an annual event, organised each year to raise awareness for the pressures, challenges and sacrifices that are made by individuals caring for a family member or friend. The life of a young carer can sometimes be disregarded. The resilience, patience and empathy can be carried in such a way that doesn’t make it look heavy – but just because you are caring for someone, doesn’t mean you don’t need your own support. The day not only calls for mindfulness but is a chance to say a special thank you to the thousands of people in the UK who care for someone, and ask how best we can provide support.

A young carer might do more chores than their peers and provide emotional support to the individual they are caring for. They may also learn how to nurse someone or look after personal needs.

Sometimes it can be very hard explaining why you have more responsibilities, or why you might have to miss out on certain occasions due to caring duties.

On average, a young carer misses up to a staggering 48 days of education, and over 60% are unfortunately bullied due to having to care for someone. At Creative Access, we believe that no young persons’ life should be unnecessarily restricted because they are a carer.

Our research showed that 80% of young carers in our community felt like caring had an impact on their health and wellbeing, and that they missed out on opportunities due to caring.

This should simply not be the case. Taking care of someone else should never come at the expense of neglecting yourself.

Being a young carer plays such a valuable role in family relationships and even in society. Many young carers speak fondly of the strong familial bonds formed. When healthy coping mechanisms are adopted, and the right support is given – it’s hard to imagine a world without these individuals who are so strong, kind and selfless. Young Carers Action Day is a brilliant opportunity to recognise this and allow young carers themselves to express what they need. Although many do not have a choice about when or how they become carers, we as a society have a choice on whether we support them adequately.

This year’s Young Carers Action Day follows a theme of isolation – a process we’ve become all too familiar with in the past two years. One definition of isolation is “the fact something is separate and not connected to other things”. This seems vital when discussing being a young carer, an element that can sometimes become your identity, unable to be separated from the other things happening in your life. Young Carers Day sets out to explain that this being a carer is not a negative, but simply a part of someone’s identity, and as a community, we must work on the best ways to support – so that an individual is not separated but connected to a wealth of advice that makes every day a little easier.

Speaking from personal experience as an adult, some aspects of being a young carer never really leave you. Even if you don’t feel like you need help now; it’s helpful to know what support systems are available. Here are some resources we have gathered to support young carers:

• The Care Act of 2014 and Children and Families Act of 2014 placed responsibilities on local authorities to take a wider approach to families. This means that councils must have arrangements in place to assess the impacts of inappropriate caring responsibilities on young people.

• Legal stuff can be difficult to navigate and include lots of jargon that’s hard to understand. LawStuff provides free legal information to young people, so definitely worth checking out to know where you stand.

• You should never neglect your wellbeing, physical or mental health – and must always remember you are not alone. If you feel stressed out by too much responsibility, feel like your mental health is suffering, or are even feeling physically tired, these are all signs that you might benefit from some help. Our first piece of advice would be to confide in someone you trust, another adult or your GP.
• We’d also recommend finding your local carers centre, who can signpost you to help and support nearby. Young carers who have taken part in studies speak about the support given, which trickled into other areas of their lives. Support groups, days out, flexibility around work or school were all potential benefits available. The importance of relationships with friends in similar situations can be so constructive, encouraging feelings of connection and trust.

At Creative Access, we feel strongly that the culture of silence around being a young carer must end. It has been documented that many are worried about what happens after official interventions or being different from friends, so this prevents many from speaking out. Because of this, some young carers find themselves leading double lives in efforts not to discuss their responsibilities, but this isn’t the way forward. Secrecy invites isolation, it’s so important to open up to someone you trust, or the organisations ready to provide a helping hand – and begin caring for yourself.

Here some other resources that might be helpful for any current young carers:

• Carers UK– A organisation created to “make life better for carers”. They also have an online forum and helpline (0808 808 7777)

• Youth Access – An advice and counselling network providing advice to young people aged 12 – 25.

• Carers Trust is a major charity working to support, provide services for and encourage recognition for young carers. They have an amazing bank of resources that can be found here.

• Creative Access also has on tips for looking after your mental health by Dr Victoria Mattison, take a look!

Sometimes a health issue can make completing work difficult. You wouldn’t work with a broken arm, but more invisible conditions can be a little harder to navigate… Informing your employer of any ongoing difficulties you are facing is called disclosure – and it can be very hard to do, but will ultimately help you turn up to work as your best, most authentic self.  

We here at Creative Access have put together our top tips on how to overcome this and helpful advice that’s useful to know along the way… 

Adjustments can help you perform at your best, providing tailored support and works to reduce barriers you might face in the workplace. Although this decision is a personal one, we would recommend telling employers about any condition, physical or mental, that you may have, because there could be potential risks if not. 

The 2010 Equality Act describes disability as a “physical or mental impairment that has substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.” 

An ‘impairment’ can mean your physical or mental abilities are reduced in some way compared to most people. This could be the result of a diagnosed medical condition (like arthritis in your hands that means you can’t grip or carry things as well as other people) but it doesn’t need to be. If you’re suffering from stress, you might have mental impairments – like difficulty concentrating – as well as physical impairments such as extreme tiredness and difficulty sleeping.  

Any condition can have substantial and long-term adverse effects on your ability to carry out day-to-day activities. It doesn’t have to stop you doing anything, but can make it harder.  

This is known as disability discrimination, and it is against the law; disabilities fall under the 9 protected characteristics of the Equality Act. There is a difference between your employer making reasonable adjustments and you feeling discriminated against. If you feel uncomfortable by the actions made by your company, we recommend reaching out to your HR team for further advice. Disability discrimination could include things like failing to provide reasonable adjustments, e.g., wheelchair access, harassment, being treated less favourably and having information about your disability shared without your prior knowledge.  

Most companies have an equal opportunities statement or policy that is designed to prevent things like this from happening, but this is not always the case. Companies often welcome being informed where discrimination is happening in their organisation, so they can take action or make changes to prevent this in the future. 

You don’t have to inform your employer, but it may be in your best interests, especially if you would benefit from reasonable adjustments being made to make your working day easier. 

If a disabled person’s conditions are impeding their efficiency in everyday activities, they may need reasonable adjustments. 

• A Dyslexic person may experience challenges with reading fluency. Your employer can provide adjustments such as screen reading/read-aloud and proof-reading software or by presenting information visually to help you process documents easier 
• A candidate with ADHD may experience challenges with time management and organisation and could benefit from shared calendars, a separate working area to help them focus and stationary to help aid their working style  

• An individual experiencing mental health difficulties such as Anxiety or Depression may benefit from a designated safe space to retreat to when overwhelmed and flexible deadline adjustments. It may also be beneficial to complete a Wellness Action Plan to discuss the working style that benefits you most and anything that could hinder you in the workplace 
• An Autistic person may get anxious about unfamiliar environments and overwhelmed by bright lights. Adjustments could include assigning a designated colleague to help with moving around the building and a work space with adjustable lights and modified equipment so that the work environment is more recognisable. 

The above are not exclusive to these conditions, but show the array of adjustments that you could be entitled to. Your employer has a duty to provide extra support for you, whether you are applying for a job or are an employee, but they can only do this if they are aware.  

Any costs occurred from reasonable adjustments are covered by the employer; employees are not responsible for paying for these. 

Ultimately, disclosure of health issues at work is a personal choice, and you can say as much or as little as you want. It might be helpful to think about the role you may play in educating your organisation, or setting an example to those who might also be afraid to speak up about their invisible battles.  

1. Advocate for yourself!  

2. Know your rights 

3. Don’t be worried about the conversation 

4. Timing isn’t everything, you can always mention when circumstances have changed. 

5. Support is available – check out our links below! 

• Creative Access disability survey findings 2022
• Creative Access employer resource for creating more accessible workplaces
• Scope is a disability equality charity in England and Wales, they provide information and support, and strive to create a fairer society 
• Disabilityrightsuk is a leading organisation led, run and working to support disabled people, they have lots of free, helpful advice on their website 
• Mind provide advice and support to anyone experiencing mental health problems and tries to promote understanding and awareness. This post explores disclosing a mental issue in your workplace 

• Check out the pros and cons of disclosing a mental health issue! 
• Take a look here where the Diversity Movement has a great blogpost discussing invisible illness. 

Here are some apps that might improve your routine and productivity: 

• Sensory apps – Range of sensory apps to help with relaxation and overstimulation  
• tiimo – Visual learners, or anyone who appreciates graphics, typically love Tiimo. This visual daily planner helps users keep a routine, stay organized, and meet goals 
• I cant wake up! – alarm for those who struggle with sleep/time management (the alarm only shuts off after completing math, memory, and order questions or can play music to prevent a return to deep sleep) 

Helpful resources and further support for those affected by the Coronavirus crisis

The Creative Access team have shifted to a blended model of home and office-based working. We appreciate that these are challenging times for everyone, and especially conscious that interns, trainees and a range of creative professionals may be experiencing high degrees of uncertainty. Below are a collection of helpful resources and further support for those affected by the COVID-19 Coronavirus crisis. Please note this blog post is regularly updated as more material becomes available.

• NHS Advice on Coronavirus 
• UK Government advice on Coronavirus 
• The Government’s advice on on self-employment and Universal Credit. Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs. You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income or out of work. The minimum income floor in Universal Credit will be temporarily relaxed for those directly affected by Covid-19 or self-isolating, ensuring self-employed claimants will be compensated for losses in income 
• Official guidance on claiming sick pay and other benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions 
• You can apply for an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) if you have a disability or health condition that affects how much you can work. 
• HMRC has set up a dedicated Covid-19 helpline to help those in need. HMRC will also waive late payment penalties and interest where a business experiences administrative difficulty contacting HMRC or paying taxes due to Covid-19 
• UCL School of Management has published “The pain of financial stress, and what you can do about it” with tips on how financial stress can be reduced and a glossary of common financial terms. 
• If you’re on low income and can’t work due to self-isolation, you may be eligible for the £500 Test and Trace Support Payment 
• If you’ve been told to work from home and your household costs have increased as a result, you may be eligible for HMRC’s working from home tax relief.

• Creative Access & McLaren Racing are offering bursaries of between £250 and £1000 to those from under-represented communities to help remove the financial barriers of entering or progressing in the creative economy. 
• The Arts Council have funds and support available for artists and creatives as well as a Financial Difficulties guide and toolkit to help individuals recognise and manage some of the financial challenges they might be facing 
• The Film & TV Charity provide a support line and financial relief to workers affected by the crisis as well as stop-gap grants of up to £750. 
• Leading theatrical charities provide information about how and where you can access support if you work in the theatre industry. 
• Museum news and support for freelancers working within museums, galleries, archives, libraries and heritage sites 
• Dance Professionals Fund offer grants for professional dancers, including support for freelance dancers with portfolio careers 
• The Arts Marketing Association offer free webinars and resources for those in the arts, culture and heritage sector 
• Mayor of London’s resources for creative organisations and freelancers 
• The City of London Corporation have compiled a list of resources, guidance and funding opportunities for those working in the tourism, arts, culture and creative sectors. 
• PressPad offer mentoring sessions, masterclasses, networking opportunities and accommodation to entry-level journalists. 
• The Book Trade Charity offer affordable housing in North London to those who are looking to enter the publishing industry. 

• If you live independently – renting an apartment, house or room or in a low-income household – you may be able to get support with your housing costs, through claiming Universal Credit or new style ESA. More info here 

• Mind offer advice and support for those struggling with their mental health 
• YoungMinds have some excellent advice and resources on looking after your mental health while self-isolating 

• Top tips for working from home and a free peer-support network from Creative Lives for anyone involved in arts, culture and creativity who would welcome the opportunity to talk to others about wellbeing and other topics 

• The Citizens Advice Bureau provides guidance for those struggling with living costs 
• Debt charity, Step Change, outline what to do if you need emergency help with money and food 
• The charity, National Debtline, provides useful advice and guidance on claiming benefits 
• Turn2us is a national charity which provides financial support to help people get back on track during tough times 
• General financial advice and guidance on paying bills from the team at Money Saving Expert 
• Ideas for budgeting and managing your money from the Money Advice Service 
• The Department for Education have launched The Skills Toolkit – an online platform giving access to free digital and numeracy courses to help people build up their skills and boost employability
• RIFT have set up a Guide to Tax Debt and Mental Health 

If you have further resources we can add to this list, tweet at us @_CreativeAccess. 

1 in 5 of the working-age population are classed as disabled and the number of people reporting a long-term health condition or disability is rising; largely driven by an increase in mental health conditions. Only 54% of disabled people are employed, compared to 82% of non-disabled people[1].

Some issues around employment and access to opportunities for disabled workers and job seekers are common across all sectors:

• Low levels of representation in the workforce and lack of role models at senior levels
• Recruitment processes that regularly create obstacles for disabled job applicants
• Fewer opportunities for career progression
• Lack of awareness and difficulties in getting employers to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace
• Fears of being devalued if disclosing a disability or condition

The nature of the creative industries can make all these problems more acute. The working environment can be fast-paced and often staff are on short-term contracts and working towards tight deadlines which are apt to change. Career progression is not as linear as in other industries and informal networking still plays a large role. All of which can make those living with certain conditions feel the impact of their challenges more keenly. However, with the appropriate level of understanding, reasonable adjustments can be made to improve the accessibility of roles and opportunities.

The results of a survey of the Creative Access community in 2022, published in a report on disability equity in the UK’s creative industries showed:

• Only a quarter of disabled respondents feel they have access to the contacts and networks
• Less than a third feel they have the confidence they need to progress their creative career and are optimistic about the opportunities for progression

Whilst we acknowledge that the creative industries – in which disabled people are under-represented – do throw up many challenges, it also presents opportunities for companies to become trailblazer and lead the way in establishing the best approaches supporting disabled employees to thrive.

The Equality Act 2010 states employers must make reasonable adjustments to support disabled job applicants and employees, this includes support progressing in work. 88% of our survey respondents cited the two biggest barriers to their creative careers were:

• Employers’ understanding of making adjustments to allow them to work better
• Awareness of disability issues amongst non-disabled colleagues

We asked candidates about tactics to improve the accessibility of 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

There is a pressing need for creative employers to improve access for disabled applicants and support progression within the sector. We’ve cited our top tips below, but you can read the full report and recommendations here: Disability equity in the UK’s creative industries

• Base your approach on universal principles that benefit the entire team, so disabled people are not always requiring differentiation. This might include a general respect and curiosity about what enables all staff to bring their true selves to work, or the completion of Wellness Action Plans that are an easy, practical way to support mental health at work
• Review use of imagery in presentations, in marketing material and on your website
• Audit policies and procedures around recruitment, training and promotion to flag up any barriers
• Audit your staff to ensure hiring and line managers sufficiently understand their legal duties towards disabled people as set out in the Equality Act 2010 If using third party recruiters, ensure they are compliant with the measures set out in the Equality Act
• Check your marketing collateral; are the fonts and colours disability compliant? Is the text conducive to neurodivergent reading? Is your website accessible for people using screen reading software?
• Consider making adjustments to your application procedures; not everyone is able to complete the conventional application form and a formal interview with a panel of interviewers can be daunting for many people. Allow applicants to see interview questions in advance, provide photos of panels and opportunities to visit the building
• Ensure you paint a realistic picture of life in at your organisation and within the sector during the recruitment process
• Undertake appropriate team training, eg, for example: embracing neurodiversity, cultivating empathetic conversations around mental health, disability equity to ensure staff are more aware of what ‘reasonable adjustments’ can and should be made
• Consider running a Positive Action schemes specifically aimed at recruiting disabled people
• Review working hours and patterns and provide opportunities for flexible working

• Disability & Employment | Factsheets | CIPD
• The Employment Toolkit for Job Seekers with Disabilities – Differently Wired
• Employability toolkit – BeyondAutism
• Equality Act 2010: Duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments for their staff
• The 4 types of discrimination: what every employer needs to know

 

[1] ONS Labour Market Status of disabled people, May 2022

Once taboo in job interviews, career breaks – for a wide range of reasons – are in fact commonplace, especially now that career paths are less linear than they used to be. Read on to hear what our Creative Access recruitment team, and a real-life employer partner have to say about explaining a career break.  

Acknowledge the gap head-on in your CV, briefly referencing the reason – be it caring responsibilities, health issues, travelling, or studying. Often employers aren’t trying to catch you out by asking about your career break and just want to understand the reasons behind it and what you’ve learnt from it, just like any other experience you’ve had.  

It can also be helpful to be honest from the outset with a potential employer if you want to disclose any reasonable adjustments or caring responsibilities that they’d need to be aware of if they hired you. You can read our advice on navigating disclosure as a job seeker here.  

No matter your reasons for your career break, you will have likely learned something along the way about yourself, or picked up some transferable skills along the way that will help you in the next step of your journey. So, make sure to reference them with examples in your application and interview. 

You can use the experiences you’ve had during your career break: if you’ve taken time out to raise a child, or due to redundancy, work drying up as a freelancer during the pandemic, or illness, what have you learnt from that? Did you undertake any courses or volunteer at all during this time? You should also mention this!  

Career breaks – and your return to work – can also demonstrate your ability to overcome challenges.  Don’t forget that personal growth is just as valuable as professional growth. 

Here’s a few examples of skills you might have picked up on the way: 

• Perseverance – your return to the world of work itself demonstrates a great amount of perseverance 
• Resilience – if you’ve lost your job or have caring responsibilities, you might have learnt a lot about resilience in order to keep calm in moments of crisis  
• Organisation – if you yourself have been ill or have been caring for a love one with an illness, you may have picked up organisational skills from communicating with healthcare officials and making caring arrangements 

EXAMPLE: “Caring for my disabled sister throughout my life has meant I’ve had to take career breaks quite often. As you can see, in 2018 I took two months off to help her recovery from surgery. I’ve developed organisational and time management skills from these responsibilities such as scheduling, making phone calls, writing funding applications, that align with what the qualities needed in this project management role.”   

Greg Jones, European CEO of Smarts Agency:  

Practising for interviews is super helpful for everybody, particularly those who have been out of the interviewing game for a while and need to get back into the swing of talking about your skills and experiences. It will also be beneficial to help you practise explaining the reason for your career gap. This is especially true if the break was for a sensitive reason such as a health issue or the loss of a loved one. 

Ask a friend or family member to role-play a job interview with you so you can get comfortable with the format again.  

Interview Warmup by Google is also a great tool for practising.  

Read more in-depth advice on interview techniques from us.  

Demonstrating a passion and drive to re-enter the workforce, specifically the role you’re applying for, is key. Make sure to talk about your enthusiasm, interest in the industry and what skills and experiences you hope to gain from the role.  

You can even prep beforehand by brushing up on new industry trends and networking with others in your field. Has your career break given you a fresh perspective on your ambitions? Make sure to talk about this. 

Your career break, ultimately, can show your strengths and skills; see job applications and interviews as an opportunity to show how committed and excited you are to re-enter the world of work and how driven you are about succeeding in the industry with a renewed focus.  

Check out our advice on putting together your CV and acing an interview, no matter what stage you’re at in your career. 

• Freelancers ask for reasonable adjustments & employer training to thrive 
• 50% of freelancers don’t feel supported by the employers they work with  
• 1 in 5 (22%) became a freelancer due to negative experiences in a perm role  
• Disabled individuals 30% more likely freelancing after negative perm role experience 
• 54% say they’re offered a day rate or salary below their level 

Creative Access, a leading UK diversity and inclusion social enterprise today reveals new research that shows although freelancers are broadly happy with their career path, there is a breakdown in the relationship between freelancers and employers within the creative economy as 1 in 2 freelancers say they ‘don’t feel supported by employers’ they work with. 

This is despite the creative industry’s heavy reliance on its freelance workforce. Self-employed talent currently represents a third of resource in the creative economy (source) – sectors such as film, TV, journalism, PR and many more have historically relied on freelance support to deliver projects and plug valued skills gaps.  

Creative workplaces ‘excluding’ freelancers   

Although demand for freelance workforce support in the creative industries shows no signs of shrinking, overall satisfaction is waning among the self-employed. The report from Creative Access surveying under-represented freelancers in the creative industries highlights poor standards from employers. When asked ‘do employers support freelancers and include them in their teams & organisations?’ half of respondents (50%) said no. 

Unsurprisingly, 1 in 2 freelancers also said late payment from employers was an issue. And 1 in 3 disabled respondents said they went freelance due to a negative experience in a permanent role, this was higher than the average 1 in 5, which sadly raises a bigger issue of disabled freelancers being 30% more likely to have suffered bad workplace experiences as staffers, this ‘otherised’ treatment seems to continue into self-employed life.  

Not all bad for freelance talent 

Despite challenges freelancers face, respondents are overall pleased with their career path, pointing to several positive aspects about being self-employed, suggesting their job gives them satisfaction, namely around:  

• remote work (62%) 
• project diversity (61%) 
• independence (61%) 
• it being beneficial to their health & wellbeing (42%)  
• and freedom to select clients (32%) 

How can employers & the industry help freelancers thrive? 

Despite positive experiences being self-employed, freelancers didn’t hold back in identifying how employers and the creative industry at large can better support them to do great work. It’s no coincidence that respondents said employer training on how to best support freelancers is one of the most important resolutions to the freelance, employer disconnect. 

Respondents also pointed towards several key action points employers and the creative industry at large can take to help them thrive: 

1. Make it clear as an employer you will make reasonable adjustments for disabled freelancers – 91% of disabled freelancers in our survey highlighted this was an issue with employers.  

2. 78% of freelancers in our survey said professional training was one of the most important areas employers and industry bodies can support them 

3. Providing access to a mentor with a similar lived experience, was valued by 63% 

4. Access to networking events to build their client and peer contact base (67%)  

5. As well as training for employers on how to best support freelancers (48%) 

“Freelancers are all too often the lifeblood of a creative organisation,” says Creative Access CEO, Bibi Hilton: “They’re the flexible extra resource we bring in when the workload suddenly spikes and there’s no time or budget to hire to plug highly valued, and often specialist skills gaps. And yet, our survey shows, many employers are not treating their freelancers in this way. They are treating them as ‘other’ to their permanent employees; investing in training or wellbeing for everyone except their freelancers or worse, claiming to create a culture of ‘belonging’ that includes everyone except the large proportion of individuals not on permanent contracts.   

“At Creative Access we’ve been at the forefront of supporting diverse talent for over a decade, it’s all part of our mission to make the creative industries reflect UK society. However, we also appreciate our own role in offering career-long support – particularly when talent is self-employed and lies outside the safety net of an organisation.” 

Read the report in full here: Freedom or working for free? Freelancers in the creative economy 2023

Read our recommendations for employers here: How employers can better support freelancers

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.

• 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

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.