Challenging the diversity crisis in the arts
The arts industry in the UK has a diversity problem. Despite the wealth of talent in our communities, it remains overwhelmingly homogeneous. If we want to improve the situation, we need to start with better careers guidance, argues journalist Anil Dawar.
According to the latest Labour Force Survey, 90 per cent of the arts workforce identifies as white, 60 per cent grew up in middle and upper-class households and a mere 8 per cent of those in film, TV, radio, and photography identify as having a working-class background.
This lack of diversity is not just a workforce issue – it is rooted in our education system, notably in how careers advice seemingly fails to challenge stereotypes and by extension limits aspirations for young people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Analysis by FFT Education Datalab shows troubling trends in A-Level subject choices for arts-related fields such as fine art, photography, and drama and theatre studies. Unless schools and policymakers take deliberate steps to address these issues, the arts industry will continue to miss out on vital perspectives and talents, leaving it poorer in every sense of the word.
Here are four key reasons why better careers guidance is essential to safeguarding the future diversity of the arts industry in the UK.
Stereotypes restrict opportunities
A-Level subject choices significantly shape career paths. Yet, statistics from the National Pupil Database analysed by FT Education Datalab reveal striking disparities in the proportion of students from Black and minority ethnic groups choosing arts-related A-Level subjects in 2022. For example:
In drama and theatre studies, the seven least represented groups come from the Department for Education’s 13 Asian, Black, Chinese and mixed minority ethnic groups. Participation ranges from just 0.23 per cent (Bangladeshi students) to 1.79 per cent (Other Black students).
For photography, again the smallest seven are all non-white, with the proportions growing from 0.97 per cent (Pakistani) to 1.62 per cent (Chinese).
In fine art, participation among the bottom seven groups spans 1.44 per cent (Pakistani) to 3.15 per cent (Black Caribbean). (Surprisingly, given the other data, Chinese students have the highest proportional representation of all groups, at 5.92 per cent.)
These numbers show a glaring issue – minority ethnic students are underrepresented in arts-related A-Level subjects. This is not merely about preference – systemic factors, such as cultural stereotypes about ‘respectable’ career paths, play a significant role.
Other research shows that the A Level subject choice problem may be exacerbated by issues upstream in the education system. The Runnymede Trust and Freelands Foundation recent paper on race and ethnicity in art education, Visualise, found that GCSE art exam papers remain incredibly limiting – just 2.3 per cent of named standalone artists referenced are from Black (1.54 per cent) or South Asian (0.74 per cent) backgrounds. This lack of diversity at the GCSE stage will influence subject choices at A Level
Without direct intervention, these stereotypes will continue to drive a self-fulfilling cycle – fewer ethnic minority students in arts education means fewer in the arts workforce, reinforcing its lack of diversity.
Poor careers guidance in diverse schools exacerbates inequalities
Good careers guidance is crucial in breaking down stereotypes. The Gatsby Benchmarks – a gold standard for assessing school careers programmes – emphasise this. Benchmark 3 states that schools should ‘actively seek to challenge misconceptions and stereotypical thinking showcase a diverse range of role models and raise aspirations’. Yet, schools in the most deprived quartile, which typically serve more diverse populations, perform worst on this benchmark.
This failure means students from minority ethnic backgrounds in these schools often do not receive the tailored guidance they need to consider a broader range of career paths. For example, students might be steered toward stereotypical ‘safe’ choices such as maths or sciences, while arts subjects are dismissed as risky or irrelevant.
This lack of support may be reinforced by a student’s home context where cultural background appears to influence the high uptake of STEM and vocational subjects such as accounting, law and business among certain groups. These factors combine to limit students’ options and entrenches the biases that keep the arts industry homogeneous.
Addressing this shortfall in guidance is critical. By failing to meet Gatsby Benchmark 3, schools are inadvertently reinforcing cultural stereotypes and perpetuating a system that excludes minority voices from creative industries.
This is not to say that students from those groups should be funnelled into the arts, but rather that they be shown, where appropriate, that they have that choice.
The class barrier
The class disparity in the arts workforce compounds the issue of ethnic diversity.
As stated earlier, 90 per cent of the arts workforce is white, compared to 85 per cent of the general workforce. Some 60 per cent of the workforce grew up in middle class households where the main earner was in a managerial or professional role, versus 43 per cent of the general workforce. The class divide is starkest in film, TV, radio and photography, where a mere 8.4 per cent of workers identify as coming from a working-class background.
Careers guidance plays a pivotal role here too. Many students from working-class or minority ethnic families lack exposure to the arts as a viable career option. Without robust interventions to address this gap, the arts will remain a space dominated by those with economic privilege, further marginalising all underrepresented groups.
The Visualise report highlights this starkly in the context of art education, showing how racialised and class-based exclusion combine to limit opportunities for young people.
Efforts to diversify the workforce must begin by addressing these barriers in schools, where the seeds of career aspirations are planted.
Diversity in the arts is vital for everyone
The arts are not just a luxury – they are a mirror of society, reflecting our collective experiences and values. A lack of diversity in the workforce leads to a narrow perspective that fails to capture the richness of our multicultural society. It also risks alienating audiences who do not see their lives or cultures represented.
As the Arts Council points out in its latest 10-year strategy, ‘Currently, the opportunity to establish and sustain a creative career… is unfairly dependent on personal background.’
Encouraging more diverse participation in arts education is not just about fairness – it is essential for the future health of the industry. New perspectives drive innovation, creativity, and relevance. To achieve this, schools must prioritise challenging stereotypes through targeted careers advice and guidance.
Showcasing diverse role models in the arts – writers, directors, photographers, and actors from underrepresented backgrounds – can inspire students to envision themselves in these careers. Schools and policymakers should also consider how to fund and promote extracurricular opportunities, such as theatre trips, photography workshops or art classes, particularly in underserved areas.
Schools must step up
The UK arts industry is at a crossroads, and it knows it. If it continues to draw talent from the same narrow demographic, it risks stagnation, irrelevance and disconnection from an increasingly diverse society. The statistics are clear: minority ethnic students are underrepresented in arts-related A-Level subjects and careers guidance in diverse schools is failing to address the stereotypes that perpetuate this exclusion.
To change this, schools must rise to the challenge set by the Gatsby Benchmarks, ensuring that every student has access to high-quality, stereotype-challenging careers advice. By doing so, we can create a future where the arts workforce reflects the diversity of the UK – a future where every student, regardless of background, can see a place for themselves in the creative industries.
The arts thrive on diversity. Without it, the sector will falter. It is time to ensure that every young person – regardless of ethnicity, class, or background – can contribute to and shape the UK’s vibrant cultural landscape.
Anil Dawar is a journalist born in London to Asian and British parents. He specialises in home affairs and education issues.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Runnymede Trust.
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