Career progression for under-represented creatives in crisis, reports Lucy Nathan at BookBrunch: ‘as the latest Thrive survey from Creative Access captures a stark moment of reckoning for the sector.’.

Read BookBrunch’s article.

Creative Access CEO, Mel Rodrigues, has commented amongst other arts leaders on the downturn in vacancies in the creative industries, shown in recent ONS data. Mel shared Creative Access’ own data from its opportunities board, showing that entry-level roles are on the decline, saying: “Economic squeezes, business model shifts and the uptake of AI-driven technologies are all affecting the talent decisions being made by creative sector employers.”

Mel also spoke about our new Thrive survey findings that one in five organisations are using AI for talent acquisition. She explained: “We’re working with employers to help them harness AI inclusively, while also ensuring the early career pipeline is not ignored, as the prosperity of the sector still depends on nurturing creative talent from all groups, who bring fresh ideas and perspectives that no generative AI can replicate,”

Read the piece in full here.

Heather Fallon at Broadcast has reported on Creative Access’ recent research that two-thirds of TV and film freelancers have less work, and that less than half of those surveyed had made progress in their careers over the last year, with optimism at a four-year low for TV and film workers.

Read the article in full.

Creative Access announces results of annual survey charting business & career sentiment among diverse talent & employers regarding DE&I goals.

• Less than half have made progress compared with two-thirds in 2022 

• 9 in 10 haven’t received a promotion and 83% haven’t received a pay rise in the last year 

• Optimism has dropped to 31%, falling year-on-year from 66% in 2022 

• 46% of freelancers have seen a decline in work 

The UK’s creative workforce is facing unprecedented disruption, with staff, freelancers, and employers alike navigating instability, shrinking opportunities, and the rapid introduction of new technologies, according to the latest Thrive report from Creative Access. 

Based on the views of 300 respondents – 200 individuals and 100 employers – this year’s research reveals the impact of widespread change across the creative economy. 

Amongst a continuing cost-of-living crisis, mass redundancies and an increasingly divisive political climate, the survey captures a stark moment of reckoning for the sector and offers a reflection on how to address the ongoing crises. 

Less than half of respondents (42%) reported any career progression over the past year, compared with two-thirds in 2022. This was most noticeable amongst those from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.  

Nearly 9 in 10 respondents have not received a promotion, and over 80% have not received a pay rise – a trend likely linked to the financial strain faced by many creative organisations.  

In 2022, two-thirds of respondents felt optimistic about their career. In 2025, that number has more than halved to just 31%. Disabled creatives reported the lowest optimism levels overall.  

Freelancers are particularly feeling the squeeze, with 46% reporting a decrease in the volume of work available. 

The report shows a troubling rise in negative impacts on mental health, with working hours (22%), poor line management (22%), team dynamics (15%) and a lack of focus on wellbeing (15%) appearing as the most common contributing factors. Disabled creatives were the most likely to say their mental health had been negatively affected by their work (50%). 

Still, almost a third of all respondents said their work did have some positive impact on their wellbeing, indicating that the right conditions can still foster fulfilment.  

Despite these challenges, there’s evidence that tailored support makes a real difference. Individuals who accessed Creative Access programmes over the past year were more likely to report career progress than those who didn’t. In addition, the vast majority of those who’d received Creative Access services (92%) ranked at least one area of support from Creative Access as either ‘significant’ or ‘very significant’ to their careers. 

Worryingly, 1 in 20 organisations – and 1 in 7 larger employers – reported a decrease in DE&I spending this year. This may be contributing to a decline in workforce diversity: just 47% of employers said their teams had become more representative, down for the fourth consecutive year. 

Equity in progression and reward also appears stuck, with 42% of employers reporting no change in the past 12 months.  

Yet there are reasons for hope: 44% of organisations said they had increased their DE&I spend – an uplift on last year’s 35%. Meanwhile, 82% of employers attributed their organisation’s progress in DE&I to working with Creative Access.  

Creative organisations have embraced AI at an astonishing rate: just 3% were using AI last year whereas now in 2025, 53% are.  

But the workforce is still catching up. Only 18% of individuals say they’ve received AI training, and 82% have concerns about the ethical and inclusive implications of AI use in creative settings. 

On the findings, CEO of Creative Access, Mel Rodrigues said: 

“The creative industries are experiencing a period of profound and sustained upheaval. With optimism fading and career progression stalling, it’s vital that we now double down on our support for under-represented talent. If we don’t, we will lose a critical mass of skilled and experienced talent who have contributed immeasurably to our collective success over the past decade. 

Creatives need nurturing at all stages of their careers, to be able to innovate, stay afloat, and to do their best work. If we want a more equitable future for the creative economy, now is the time to invest – in people, in progression, and in the partnerships that open doors so talent from under-represented backgrounds can thrive at every level in their careers.” 

Read the report: Thrive report: An Industry in Flux

The social enterprise Creative Access has welcomed three new non-executive directors. Joining the board are CEO of Fabric Social, Laura Tannenbaum, managing director at DK, Penguin Random House, Mark Searle and ITV’s DEI and Talent Lead, Nahrein Kemp, Arts Professional reports here.

Creative Access, a social enterprise that facilitates access to the creative industries for those from under-represented communities, has today announced the appointment of three new Non-Executive Directors to its Board of Directors. These are: 

• Laura Tannenbaum, CEO of leading social creative agency, Fabric Social  

• Mark Searle, Managing Director at DK, Penguin Random House 

• Nahrein Kemp, DEI and Talent Lead, ITV  

In addition, Anamik Saha, Professor of Race and Media at the University of Leeds will be joining the Creative Access Advisory Board; and Stephanie Hall, will be joining the team as Director of Talent and Outreach. Stephanie brings a wealth of inclusive recruitment experience from companies including leading PR firm, Ketchum, publisher HarperCollins and in the charity sector at Save the Children UK. 

Josie Dobrin, Executive Chair, Creative Access said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome our three new non-executive directors to the Board of Creative Access. Between them, they bring us an invaluable combination of insight, passion and experience, which will be crucial to Creative Access as we grow. Along with our existing trustees, their perspectives will challenge and inspire us, helping ensure our work remains bold, relevant, and rooted in the communities we serve.”  

Speaking of her involvement, Laura Tannenbaum, CEO of Fabric Social, said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Creative Access as a Non-Executive Director. Their mission to create a more equitable and representative creative industry couldn’t be more urgent, or more aligned with my own values. I’ve long admired their work in opening doors for talent that’s too often overlooked, and I’m excited to support the team as they continue to drive meaningful, systemic change across the industry.” 

Commenting on his appointment to the Board, Mark Searle, Managing Director of DK, said: “I’m delighted to be joining the board at Creative Access. It is an inspiring organisation that has already helped so many people here at DK, at many other publishers as well as across all the creative industries to progress their careers. I’m thrilled to be joining the team at this exciting stage of their development.” 

Nahrein Kemp, DEI and Talent Lead at ITV said: ” Creative Access has an impressive history of shifting the dial on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and continues to create real impact on the UK’s creative and cultural sectors. As someone who is passionate about talent thriving and shining in our industry, I am incredibly excited to join the Creative Access Board and to help them on their mission to do the same.” 

Birmingham Publisher, The Emma Press, awarded internship grant to open doors for under-represented talent in publishing 

The Emma Press, an independent publisher based in Birmingham, has been named the first recipient of the David Tebbutt Internship Fund – a new initiative from Creative Access and the David Tebbutt Trust to open doors for under-represented talent in publishing.  

The internship fund honours the memory of David Tebbutt, former Finance Director at Faber, who passed away in 2011. The Fund is jointly administered by Faber and the Tebbutt family. 

The Fund will provide 100% of the cost of an intern’s training bursary or salary based on the Real Living Wage for a 6-month, full-time traineeship once a year for three years. It will also cover all costs relating to the recruitment and training of successful candidates. 

The initiative is aimed at small, regional publishers who might not otherwise have the resources to host a trainee. It is specifically designed to support people from backgrounds historically under-represented in publishing – this includes, but is not limited to, Black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates, disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent people, and individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. 

On receiving the funding, Emma Dai’an Wright, founder of The Emma Press, said:

“We feel incredibly honoured to have been awarded this opportunity, and we are so looking forward to working with Creative Access and the David Tebbutt Trust on giving a trainee the best possible start in publishing. We are proud to be hosting this role in the West Midlands, as a small press, and are so pleased that the role will go to someone from an under-represented group in publishing.” 

Judith Tebbutt, wife of the late David Tebbutt, and Oliver Tebbutt, his son, as trustees of the David Tebbutt Trust said: 

“We are absolutely delighted that the Emma Press has been chosen as the recipient of the first Creative Access/David Tebbutt Trust award. This will give the chosen trainee an exceptional opportunity for what is hoped will be, a successful future career in publishing. David would have been extremely happy.” 

Josie Dobrin, founder and executive chair of Creative Access, commented: 

“We were absolutely thrilled with the calibre and breadth of applications for the first ever round of the David Tebbutt internship. It was genuinely tough to reach a decision as there are so many excellent small regional publishers who would provide a great training ground for an intern. We are, however, delighted to have awarded the grant to The Emma Press in Birmingham. We are confident they will offer an outstanding learning opportunity for someone from a disadvantaged or marginalised community to enter the publishing industry and help to continue and honour David’s legacy.”  

Recruitment for The Emma Press’ publishing intern will be led by Creative Access. The intern will be paid the National Living Wage and join Creative Access’ Springboard programme, receiving training, mentoring and peer support to help them build a sustainable career in publishing. 

Applications for the next round of the Fund will be open from the start of January – mid February 2026. For more information and to apply, contact recruit@creativeaccess.org.uk.  

Apply to become The Emma Press’ next publishing intern. Applications close: 30/06/25 at 11.59pm

Body-doubling, regular breaks and reciprocal mentoring: How publishers can support neurodivergent staff to thrive. By Melina Spanoudi

Clinical psychologist and Creative Access trainer Victoria Mattison shares further insights on how employers can create supportive environments for autistic staff, as well as individuals with ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. 

You can read the article here.

At Creative Access, we’ve been thinking about all the ways that AI will impact inclusion, skills and recruitment in the creative economy.  

Technological change is nothing new for creatives – we’re always seeking new tools to do innovative and imaginative things. The mass adoption of creative tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Runway or Midjourney presents a huge creative opportunity, but it also opens the door to a host of complex cultural, ethical and editorial challenges for anyone using these tools in their daily workflows. 

With this challenge in mind, the Creative Access team has spent the last few months getting curious about the inclusivity and accessibility of AI. Our AI task force meets regularly to review case studies, concerns and to ask ourselves the question: ‘How can we use AI as a force of good in the creative and cultural sectors?’ 

We’ve boiled it down to three main areas of focus for creatives and their employers: 

Access & inclusion: How can the industry ensure that creatives from under-represented backgrounds – who may have less access to this technology – gain the training and digital fluency needed to future-proof their careers? 

Knowledge & skills: What must employers consider when integrating AI into workflows, and how can biases and errors be mitigated? 

Leadership & good governance: What best practices are emerging, and how can leaders navigate legal and editorial frameworks to adopt AI responsibly and inclusively? 

Read on for our insights and find out how our new Inclusive AI training can support you…  

We’ve been talking to creatives about how they use Generative AI (GenAI) to understand where they’re at on their skills journey, and what support they need from both their employers and Creative Access. 

In a recent snap survey with our community, we asked… 

What do you most commonly use GenAI for? 

• Idea generation – 38% 

• Copywriting – 23% 

• Research – 38%  

• Picture & video generation – 0% 

Are you having open discussions about GenAI at work? 

• Informal chats between peers – 33%  

• Managers and senior team members are leading the GenAI conversation – 29% 

• Not at all – 38% 

Have you had any GenAI training in your workplace? 

• Yes – 15% 

• No – 80% 

• It’s in the works – 5% 

Even though our findings show that the majority of workplaces aren’t yet having formal discussions or delivering training on GenAI, insights from our jobs board tell us that employers are increasingly asking for AI skills:  

• We’ve seen spike in the demand for ‘creative AI skills’ between 2022 to 2024 on job adverts – with 13 adverts asking for AI skills in the first 2 months of 2025 alone 

• The most common theme is the ability to use AI to innovate workflows such as in data analysis or creative productions 

• Mentions of AI in job postings vary across industries – with music, theatre, dance and visual arts ranking significantly lower than the likes of publishing, TV and marketing 

As AI reshapes job roles, it also raises critical questions about ownership and fair compensation for creative work. 

A major concern is how AI uses copyrighted material. In February, UK newspapers and creative organisations united for the Make It Fair campaign, pushing for stronger protections. In response, the government pledged to review AI legislation, though concerns remain. 

Just last week, ChatGPT announced a new AI model that is ‘good at creative writing’ fuelling further tensions between tech firms and creatives over the use of copyrighted material to train AI models. 

For creatives from under-represented backgrounds – who already face barriers to fair pay and career progression – AI’s unchecked expansion could deepen inequalities. The industry must act now to safeguard fair creative opportunities through training and ethical AI adoption, rather than waiting for government intervention.  

As ‘off the shelf’ AI tools become more valuable, a lack of workplace training on utilising the technology could widen inequalities. The accessibility of these tools delivers the potential to break down previous barriers to inclusion, but without investment and planning, access could remain limited to a privileged few. 

The risk of biases and propensity for hallucinations in AI tools are also well documented, and its use in recruitment could pose risks to diversity. In 2024, 7 in 10 companies said they planned to use AI in the hiring process, despite most acknowledging its bias. With figures like this bound to grow, it’s vital that employers manage these biases, or risk further marginalising high potential talent from under-represented groups.  

The inclusion of everyone needs to be a priority when designing and adopting AI tools. Therefore, the creative industries must enact proactive measures so that AI’s benefits are shared equitably across the industry. That’s why Creative Access has designed a bespoke AI training workshop to help you harness these new technologies and upskill employees from all backgrounds, disciplines and career stages. 

At Creative Access, we have over a decade’s worth of expertise in breaking down barriers and championing inclusive workplaces. Our training will equip employers, team leaders, and hiring managers with the tools they need to integrate AI fairly, responsibly and effectively. 

Whether in recruitment or creative workflows, AI should elevate rather than exclude talent. From image creation to CV scanning, AI is becoming an essential professional tool. Let’s make sure it’s used ethically, effectively, and inclusively. 

Future-proof your workforce and ensure AI works for everyone. Find out more and sign up for Creative Access’s Inclusive AI training today.

Mary Stone, Arts Professional, reports on, ‘Privately educated hold top jobs at third of highest-funded NPOs’ and quotes Creative Access CEO, Mel Rodrigues.

‘In response to Sutton Trust’s report, Melanie Rodrigues, CEO of Creative Access, previously said: “Addressing socio-economic barriers is a complex task, but it is business critical to nurture and progress talent from all backgrounds.

“There is a huge risk that the creative industries will lose what makes us great if we don’t embrace the myriad of stories and experiences that make up the society we live in – and that can only be achieved via a diverse and representative workforce.”’

Read the full article.

Join us at Tate Britain on Saturday 12th April for a day filled with career talks, hands-on workshops, and one-to-one mentoring with industry pros across the art world, TV & film, journalism, publishing, PR & marketing, theatre and beyond.

Get top tips from creative professionals, have your CV or portfolio looked at by experts and level up your networking game. Expect live DJs, art installations and much more.

The whole day is free to attend but some sessions will be ticketed. Click the Apply button to read the full programme and book your place at ticketed sessions.

Talks

• Making Waves in the Art World
• Money Talks: How to pay the bills as a creative
• Youth Collectives 101

Mentoring

• Creative Industries Speed Mentoring
• Tate Staff Speed Mentoring

CV Surgeries

• CV Clinic Live
• CV Refresher 

Workshops

• The Networking Lab
• Cosy Comfy Creative: Bedroom Studios

Find out more about the programme and how to sign up for a slot on our opportunities board. Otherwise, clear your diary and get down to Tate Britain on 12th April from 11am – 6pm! We can’t wait to see you there 👋

Georgia Luckhurt of The Stage has covered the news that Creative Access’ Career Development Bursary will allow 49 creatives will receive vital funding to cover equipment, training, travel, and other career-critical costs. 

The coverage featured a testimonial from Welsh theatremaker Mehdi Razi, who is using the funding to attend director courses to support an upcoming project: “This bursary comes at a pivoting point in my career. I only recently stepped into my first executive role as co-artistic director of Papergang theatre company where I will need investing in gaining new vision and skills. This bursary funds such crucial elements of mentoring and training and impact this stage of my career’s development.”

Read: Creative Access hands out 49 bursaries to address ‘critical’ career costs