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Aesthetics, Society, and Heritage: Public and Labor Force in Arts and Culture

Obtain the nation's report on Arts, Culture, and Heritage by Creative PEC, which utilizes census data to deliver a groundbreaking review of both audiences and workforce.

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Analyze the nation's state in the domains of arts, culture, and heritage through Creative PEC's...
Analyze the nation's state in the domains of arts, culture, and heritage through Creative PEC's report, which leverages census data to deliver a thorough examination of audience dynamics and workforce demographics for the first time.

Aesthetics, Society, and Heritage: Public and Labor Force in Arts and Culture

A groundbreaking report by the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) has shed light on the UK's arts, culture, and heritage sector, highlighting persistent social inequalities within the field. The report uses data from the 2021 Census, Participation Survey, and Labour Force Survey to analyze audiences and workforce composition.

Despite numerous policy commitments to address equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues in the sector, the latest data reveals ongoing inequalities. Geographic disparities remain as well, with London leading as the primary location for arts, culture, and heritage employment, while significant hubs exist in cities like Brighton and Cardiff.

Key findings from the report include:

  • White individuals account for 90% of the workforce in arts, culture, and heritage, while the general workforce figure is 85% according to the Labour Force Survey data from 2023.
  • Class disparities are evident, as 60% of arts, culture, and heritage workers grew up in a household with a managerial or professional main income earner, compared to 43% for the overall workforce.
  • The 'Film, TV, video, radio, and photography' sector shows a particularly low proportion of working-class individuals, with just 8.4% identifying as such.
  • Women represent only 34% of 'managers and directors in the creative industries.'

As the report underscores the need for action, it serves as a crucial resource for organizations, funders, policymakers, and anyone passionate about improving representation and access in arts, culture, and heritage. Moreover, the report includes an online data dashboard and interactive maps for a comprehensive understanding of workforce diversity and regional distribution.

The research team behind the report consists of Dr. Mark Taylor, Dr. Siobhan McAndrew, Professor Dave O'Brien, and Dr. Ruoxi Wang from the University of Sheffield. Scotland was not included in the in-depth map of the cultural workforce due to a lack of available Census data, but comparative references were made to cultural engagement data from the Scottish Household Survey, the National Survey for Wales, and the Continuous Household Survey within the report.

The "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Audiences and Workforce" report is part of the "State of the Nations" series produced by Creative PEC. This series presents data across four thematic areas for the whole of the United Kingdom, with reports published biannually over five years. The themes and corresponding Research Partners are R&D, Innovation and Clusters, Internationalisation, Arts, Culture, and Heritage Sectors, and Education, Skills, and Talent.

For a detailed explanation of how to use and interpret the interactive dashboard and maps included in the report, guidelines can be found on the Creative PEC website. The report is available for download, and one can also watch the launch event featuring the report authors.

[1] The Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) website[2] McAndrew, S., O'Brien, D., Taylor, M., & Wang, R. (2024) Audiences and workforces in arts, culture and heritage. doi:10.5281/zenodo.11150622[3] About State of the Nations[4] Enrichment Data: recent trends in UK workforce and engagement in England

  1. The report by Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) offers an in-depth analysis of the UK's arts, culture, and heritage sector, revealing persistent social inequalities.
  2. The 'Arts, Culture and Heritage: Audiences and Workforce' report is part of Creative PEC's "State of the Nations" series, which presents data across four thematic areas for the entire UK.
  3. The research highlights geographic disparities within the arts, culture, and heritage sector, with London and cities like Brighton and Cardiff being primary employment locations.
  4. Despite numerous policy commitments to address equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues, the latest data from 2021 Census, Participation Survey, and Labour Force Survey indicates ongoing inequalities.
  5. Key findings from the report show that 90% of the workforce in arts, culture, and heritage is white, compared to 85% for the overall workforce according to Labour Force Survey data from 2023.
  6. The report underscores the need for action to improve representation and access in arts, culture, and heritage, and serves as a crucial resource for organizations, funders, policymakers, and passionate individuals.
  7. The report includes an online data dashboard and interactive maps for a comprehensive understanding of workforce diversity and regional distribution.
  8. Women represent only 34% of 'managers and directors in the creative industries,' according to the research.
  9. The report, authored by a team from the University of Sheffield, includes comparative references to cultural engagement data from Scotland due to a lack of available Census data.
  10. Guidelines for using and interpreting the interactive dashboard and maps included in the report can be found on the Creative PEC website, and the report is available for download, with a launch event featuring the report authors.

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