Diversity and Inclusion
Introduction
Academic research and high-profile campaigns have established that the creative industries have serious institutional and workforce problems. There are considerable barriers to enter the sector and strong biases towards specific demographic groups. They are, therefore, neither inclusive nor diverse.
Creative PEC research has examined some of the structural inequalities in the creative industries and how we should be addressing them, with a particular focus on class and socioeconomic inequality. Our aim is to continue to produce new research on this topic, industry and policymakers in these new studies and to produce practical guidance and propose system-wide policy solutions.
Publications and Posts
Social mobility in the creative economy: Rebuilding and levelling up?
This report concludes phase 2 of the PEC’s ‘Class in the Creative Industries’ programme.…
Screened out: Tackling class inequality in the UK’s screen industries
Our new research, supported by ScreenSkills with BFI funding, calls for change in the Screen sector …
Part one: Gaps in the evidence base
From presence to prominence: How can computer vision widen evidence base of on-screen representation…
Part two: A framework for measuring on-screen representation
From presence to prominence: How can computer vision widen evidence base of on-screen representation…
Part three: An illustrative demo measuring prominence of TV characters
From presence to prominence: How can computer vision widen evidence base of on-screen representation…
Using computer vision to improve on-screen representation
Explore the research series A series about improving issues of diversity in the characters that we s…
Getting in and getting on: Class, participation and job quality in the UK’s Creative Industries
Authors: Heather Carey, Rebecca Florisson, Professor Dave O’Brien, Dr Neil Lee It was recently sugge…
She said more
Measuring gender imbalances in reporting on the creative industries The media’s reporting of women i…
The impact of COVID-19 on diversity in the creative industries
As part of our research agenda on the industry’s response to COVID-19, we partnered with the Al…
Increasing inequality in arts and culture revealed by new research
Embargoed 00.01 Wednesday 7 May 2025 A new report from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence C…
New research calls for change in film, TV and games sectors to improve access and progression for disadvantaged young people
While the film, TV and games industries are one of the UK’s greatest success stories, new research c…
Could the UK be a creative haven for writers? With support from policymakers, yes, says new report
17 August 2023 – The latest Authors’ Earnings Survey, from researchers at the CREATe Research …
Press release: Landmark Creative Industries report says: prioritise creative education, end unequal access to the arts and focus on the regenerative power of the creative sector
27 April 2023 – Today, the Creative PEC launches a landmark report – The State…
Press release: Poorest areas excluded from Manchester’s creative industries success story
Research shows poorest parts of Manchester have few firms & little/no employment in creative sec…
Press release: UK’s Creative Industries would need to employ 250,000 more working-class people to be as socio economically diverse as the rest of the economy
A call to Government and Industry to adopt a 10-year, 10-point Social Mobility Plan New report from …
Gender differences in musician creativity
A recording of Noah Askin’s fascinating talk on gender and creativity in music In this talk, N…
Press release: Class inequalities in the UK’s Screen Industries: New research shows only one in four Screen workers are from working-class backgrounds
New study looks at issues of class diversity in Screen workforce & calls for change in the secto…
Press release: Just 16% of people in creative jobs are from working class backgrounds and those from privileged backgrounds more likely to shape what goes on stage, page and screen
Research on class imbalances across creative sector & programme of work for a more inclusive sec…
Press release: How big data and machine learning can be used to generate more meaningful insights on gender inequality
Measuring gender imbalances in reporting on the creative industries Researchers analyse over half a …
What does the 2025 Spending Review mean for the creative industries?
A read out from Creative PEC Bernard Hay and Emily Hopkins On Wednesday 11th June the UK Government …
Class inequalities in film funding
Professor Dave O’Brien, University of Manchester, Dr Peter Campbell, University of Liverpool and Dr …
Lifelong learning in the creative industries, part 2: the solutions
In part 2 of the blog, our Industry Champions discuss possible solutions to the challenges of lifelo…
Lifelong learning in the creative industries – part 1: the challenges
Our Industry Champions discussed the challenges faced in creative industries education and lifelong …
Creative diversity in higher education
As the APPG for Creative Diversity launches their annual report, ‘Making the Creative Maj…
Eight things to know about the Creative Industries
What are the Creative Industries? The Creative Industries are a diverse and complex sector made up o…
Class inequality in the Creative Industries is rooted in unequal access to arts and cultural education
There is an incoherence at the heart of government policy. While Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries is…
What works to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Creative Industries?
Inequality is currently a key concern for academics, policymakers, and the public. In the UK we can …
Rebuilding a more inclusive creative economy
The creative industries currently face unprecedented challenges in the face of COVID-19. The news of…
Class, COVID-19, and cultural occupations
Yesterday’s publication of the latest DCMS Economic Estimates on Employment during 2…
Getting creative with big data to examine gender inequality
The term “big data” may bring to mind swaths of private information held by tech companies. But lots…
Why is understanding inequality important to understanding the creative economy?
The PEC is a fascinating opportunity to connect a whole range of different research approaches, answ…
