What does ‘good work’ look like in the creative industries? What can employers and policymakers do to ensure that creative work is sustainable, secure and rewarding? Join us for the launch of our latest State of the Nations report looking at job quality in the UK’s creative industries.
- 2:30- 4:00pm GMT, 11 November 2026
- Watch live online or attend in-person at RSA House, London
- In-person event includes a networking reception, 4pm – 5pm at RSA House
On 11 November, Creative PEC will launch a major new study examining job quality across the UK’s creative industries, as part of our State of the Nations research series, with consortium partner Work Advance.
Building on the 2023 Good Work Review, the new study takes a closer look at job quality across individual creative sub-sectors and demographic groups. It finds that working in the UK’s creative industries in 2026 can be precarious, with low levels of training and collective representation, alongside high levels of reported ‘stress-related illness’.
Our panel of industry experts and policymakers will discuss the findings, explore what they mean for creative workers and employers, and consider what needs to change to improve the quality of work across the sector.
The in-person launch will take place on 11 November at RSA House, London and will also be streamed live online.
- What does job quality look like across different creative industries and demographic groups?
- Which challenges are most pressing for creative workers and employers?
- What are the implications for the future of the creative workforce?
- What action is needed to improve the quality of work across the sector?
Speakers
Leila D’Aronville
Founder of the North East Cultural Freelancers Network, UK Government Freelance Champion
Sara Whybrew
Director of Skills and Workforce Development, British Film Institute
Sara Whybrew is Director of Skills and Workforce Development at the British Film Institute, overseeing a portfolio of initiatives designed to develop and progress a greater diversity of people into the screen workforce, alongside supporting businesses to adopt ‘good work’ practices and principles. Sara authored and currently oversees the DCMS and Creative Industries Council’s Good Work Review Action Plan, which includes pilot programmes to improve free access to best practice employment law and HR guidance, improved information on IP for self-employed creators, assistance in creating the Freelance Champion role, and a shared commitment to good work across the UK’s creative and cultural National Lottery funders.
Zak Agnew
Senior Partner Manager, Creative Lives in Progress
Zak Agnew is a Senior Partnership Manager at Creative Lives in Progress, he develops partnerships and programmes that create opportunities for emerging and underrepresented creatives. He also develops the themes for THRIVE, CLIP’s event series exploring inequality, community and sustainable creative careers. His wider cultural work includes contributing to the Design Museum’s Youth Board and co-developing a Somerset House resource exploring Black British identity and representation.
Heather Carey
Report co-author and Director, Work Advance
Heather Carey is Director of Work Advance, where she provides research and advisory support with a particular focus on inclusive growth; industrial strategy; work and skills; diversity and inclusion, and leads on the Creative Education, Skills & Talent strand of Creative PEC’s State of the Nations research series. In 2023, she led the Good Work Review along with Lesley Giles (Work Advance) and Dave O’Brien (University of Sheffield), funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Bernard Hay (Chair)
Policy Director, Creative PEC
Bernard Hay is Policy Director of the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre where he leads the centre’s policy development and engagement activities, and manages the PEC’s Policy Unit. Previously he was Head of Research and Practice at the Design Council, overseeing a portfolio of research, policy and engagement championing the value of design to the UK, and the role it can play in addressing climate and biodiversity loss.
