Effects of COVID-19 on the cultural sector's demographic mixture
The APPG for Creative Diversity recently held a panel discussion on the 2nd of December 2020, bringing together industry experts to share their experiences and concerns about the short-term and long-term impact of the pandemic on diversity in the creative industries. The event, published as a briefing, was accompanied by an image created by Anna Shvets.
The discussion covered a wide range of topics, including the impact on the talent pipeline, employer responsibility, working conditions and redundancies, programs vs systemic change, freelancers, the impact of Black Lives Matter, funding and investment, and the impact of the pandemic on disabled creatives, carers, and older people.
Key Findings:
- The pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities in the creative workforce, disproportionately affecting underrepresented groups and highlighting uneven geographic distribution within the sector, with London dominating in jobs and economic output.
- There is a call for redistributing resources and support to widen access to creative jobs beyond major hubs like London, fostering greater regional inclusion and diversity.
- The creative industries, integral to the UK economy and reducing local inequalities, require targeted policies to support diverse talent pipelines and resilient employment structures in the post-pandemic recovery.
- Efforts to maintain and diversify the creative talent pipeline, especially focusing on young people and marginalized groups, have been prioritized by government and industry bodies.
Recommendations:
- Policy measures should be implemented to redistribute wealth and resources within the creative sector to foster wider geographic and demographic inclusion, addressing place-based economic disparities.
- Diversity and inclusion initiatives should be supported through sustained government and industry collaboration, particularly focusing on education and training programmes to rebuild the creative workforce in an equitable manner.
- Creative health and wellbeing approaches should be recognized and integrated in the sector's recovery to address the social challenges exacerbated by COVID-19.
- Culture-led research, innovation, and partnerships involving higher education and further education institutions should be prioritized to build a robust, diverse creative economy post-COVID.
These points collectively outline the APPG panel's focus on using the crisis as a catalyst to implement systemic reforms for a more inclusive and regionally balanced creative workforce in the UK, supported by government, industry, and educational collaborations.
The panel discussion was part of a series of briefings and policy papers published by the APPG for Creative Diversity, including "Audiences and Workforce in Arts, Culture and Heritage," "Creative industries innovation in seaside resorts and country towns," and "Transitioning to Sustainable Production across the UK Theatre Sector," among others. The research for these briefings was conducted in partnership with organizations like Creative PEC.
The Industry Champions, trusted practitioners from various creative sectors across the UK, participated in the virtual panel, which discussed four key questions: the impact of COVID-19 on workforce diversity, learning from the experience for future crises, recovery, and government and industry support for creative diversity. The television production sector, one of Britain's leading creative export sectors, was a particular focus of the discussion.
[1] Creative PEC. (2020). Audiences and Workforce in Arts, Culture and Heritage. Policy Brief. [2] Creative PEC. (2020). Creative industries innovation in seaside resorts and country towns. Policy Brief. [3] Creative PEC. (2020). Transitioning to Sustainable Production across the UK Theatre Sector. Policy Brief. [4] All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Creative Diversity. (2020). Policy Brief: Impact of COVID-19 on workforce diversity in the creative industries. [5] Creative PEC. (2020). Three ways to support growth in the creative industries. Policy Brief.
- The creative industries, integral to the UK's economy and local equality, necessitate targeted policies to support diversified talent pools and resilient employment structures post-pandemic.
- The pandemic has intensified existing inequalities in the creative workforce, disproportionately affecting underrepresented groups, highlighting uneven geographic distribution within the sector, with London dominating.
- Redistributing resources and support is vital to widen access to creative jobs beyond major hubs like London, promoting greater regional inclusion and diversity.
- The APPG panel emphasized using the crisis as a catalyst for systemic reforms, aiming for a more inclusive and regionally balanced creative workforce in the UK, through collaborations among government, industry, and education.
- Initiatives supporting diversity and inclusion should be sustained through government and industry partnerships, particularly focusing on education and training programs to rebuild the creative workforce equitably.
- The creative sector requires redistribution of wealth and resources to foster wider geographic and demographic inclusion, addressing place-based economic disparities.
- Creative health and wellbeing approaches should be integrated during the sector's recovery to address social challenges exacerbated by the pandemic.
- Culture-led research, innovation, and collaborations with higher and further education institutions should prioritize building a robust, diverse creative economy post-COVID.
- The APPG for Creative Diversity published briefings and policy papers, such as "Audiences and Workforce in Arts, Culture and Heritage," "Creative industries innovation in seaside resorts and country towns," and "Transitioning to Sustainable Production across the UK Theatre Sector."
- The television production sector, one of Britain's leading creative export sectors, was a significant focus in the APPG panel discussion, featuring industry champions and addressing long-term impacts on workforce diversity.
