Creative arts and culture : Overview

The creative arts industry covers careers in advertising, craft, cultural heritage, design, literature, music, performing and visual arts.

The design industry employs the largest number of workers (33%), followed by performing arts (18%) and music (16%). (Creative and Cultural Skills, 2011)

There is a government-led shift to encourage private investment in the arts and philanthropic donations, under the Big Society agenda. Many organisations that previously relied on public funding will need to raise their own funds towards projects.

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Cultural Olympiad and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will provide many opportunities for the creative and cultural industries.

What kind of work can I do?

The industry covers many areas and activities including:

• craft/3D design - contemporary and historical, designing, making, selling, teaching, curating;
• cultural heritage - museums, galleries, arts centres, historical heritage, archaeology;
• design - graphic, industrial, product, digital and multimedia, interior, exhibition, fashion, textiles;
• literature - creative writing, literature development work;
• music - producing and recording, selling, promotion, live events, education/training;
• performance - theatre, music, dance, including performers, managers, administration, education, promoters and backstage technical staff;
• visual art - artists, public and participatory art, gallery staff, arts administration, arts educators, curators.

Find out more about each area of work at Creative Choices .

What's it like working in this industry?

• Self-employment and part-time work are extremely common in the creative and cultural industries. 44% of people are self-employed compared to 13% in the UK as a whole, although this does vary depending on the actual sector worked in.
• Nearly half of the workforce is under 40 years old, making the industry predominantly young. Evidence suggests that people tend to leave the industry once they reach their thirties or forties.
• The industry is dominated by men, as fewer women work in the sector and are likely to earn less than their male counterparts. Women are well-represented however in cultural heritage and visual and performing arts, although they are still less likely to progress to director-level positions.
• The industry does not tend to be ethnically diverse, with only 7% of the sector being from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. There are many organisations, however, that are dedicated to promoting the arts of minority groups.
• Wages in the creative and cultural industries are lower than the national average. Those who have a first degree earn on average £453 per week, compared to £609 for the UK average as a whole. Some performers and artists will command higher fees. 
• Seasonal work is important in the performing arts, with peaks in summer and Christmas seasons. Short-term contracts are common.
• Health issues may prevent continuation in a career, particularly for dancers, performance artists and musicians, mainly through repetitive strain injury or accident. This may require people to stop performing and move into management or enter other careers.

How big is this sector?

• The UK has the largest cultural economy in the world relative to GDP. The creative arts and cultural industry employs over 794,000 people and contributes just over £28billion GVA to the UK economy each year.
• The industry is mainly made up of small businesses. There are approximately 65,000 businesses and 94% of them employ fewer than ten people.
• Large organisations in this sector do exist and are mainly in publishing, theatres, museums and local authorities.
• Employment levels in the creative and cultural industries have increased while all other UK industries have remained static. 

Where can I work?

• In the UK, England employs the highest concentration of people in the creative and cultural industries with over 690,000 workers (88%). Scotland employs 7%, Wales 4% and Northern Ireland 2%.
• Within England, London employs 25% of the creative and cultural workforce, followed by the South East at 16% and South West at 9%.
• Many in the industry, e.g. writers, photographers, designer-makers and musicians work from a home-based studio or office.
• Digital communications have encouraged many creative forums to develop remotely, creating an international dimension that is accessible and dynamic.

Statistics from Creative and Cultural Skills, 2010.