Creative sector using vacancies spike to address lack of diversity

The creative sector is using the vacancies boom caused by the coronavirus pandemic to address the sector's longstanding diversity problem, according to research conducted by Creative Access.

The social enterprise said demand for diverse talent to fill vacancies in the music and creative industries increased by 331% in August 2021 compared with August 2019. Since the start of the pandemic in 2019, it has seen a 185% increase in the number of employers wanting to recruit more people from underrepresented communities.

Demand for diversity and inclusion training with existing staff has also seen "a dramatic increase" as employers "seek to understand how best to create an inclusive workforce and want to increase their confidence in navigating the diversity agenda and terminology and take appropriate action" Creative Access said. 

The surge in vacancies was most significant in music and the performing arts which saw a 35% increase between August 2019 and 2021. It was followed by publishing, which saw a 16% increase. 

Josie Dobrin, c.e.o. of Creative Access, said: “After an incredibly challenging 18 months, it’s encouraging to see that the creative industries are starting to recover and hire back talent and that the events over this period have been a catalyst for change. We are seeing employers seizing this opportunity to invest in talent from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the sector, who we know have been disproportionately affected by job instability over the pandemic. We are hopeful that the sector will bounce back better, more diverse and more inclusive than ever.”

The research was revealed on the same day the government launched a new toolkit aimed at widening access to the creative industries for people from working-class backgrounds.

Developed by the Social Mobility Commission in partnership with businesses across the creative industries, the toolkit offers practical support and guidance on how to identify and remove barriers. Key issues involve an "entrenched reliance on freelance workers" as well as "an abundance of unpaid internships" and "disproportionate numbers of those in senior roles who attended private school or Oxbridge", the commission said.