Culture club: Barriers to entry in London’s cultural industries

London is a global cultural hub for arts, theatre, film and fashion. The capital is a magnet for young people and accounts for more than 40 per cent of the UK’s creative sector employment. Despite this, opportunities to work in the capital’s cultural sector are not equal.

Centre for London’s new report Culture club expands and builds on previous research, outlining the barriers to entering the cultural industries in the capital. The report focuses on underrepresented young people within three socio-economic groups (social class, gender and ethnicity), as well as views from educational institutions and employers. The main sectors covered in the report are design, museums and galleries; performing and visual arts; photography and media.

Join us at the launch where Victoria Pinoncely, author of the report, will present the findings and we will hear from a panel of experts in the cultural industries on how London can foster a more inclusive and fair cultural sector for its workforce of the future.

Questions we will explore include:

• How can we ensure less advantaged young Londoners get a fair shot at working in the cultural industries?

• How do cultural employers need to adapt to encourage a diverse mix of young people to pursue a career in the sector?

• What changes need to be made to recruitment practices?

• What can the Mayor of London do to champion opportunities in the capital’s cultural industries?

Agenda

6:30pm Arrivals & refreshments
7:00pm Welcome and presentation
7:20pm Panel discussion and Q&A
8:00pm Networking & event close

With featured speakers
Chair: Munira Mirza, Executive Director for Culture, King's College London
Sam Hunt, Creative Director Waltham Forest, London Borough of Culture 2019
Niquelle LaTouche, CEO and Founder, Niquelle LaTouche Arts
Rebekah Murrell, actor and director
Victoria Pinoncely, Researcher and author of the report
Jakhya Rahman, Director of Swarovski Foundation
Jeremy Till, Head of College, Central Saint Martins
Madani Younis, Creative Director, Southbank Centre

Funder
This project has been generously supported by

Swarovski Foundation

The Swarovski Foundation, set up in 2013, works to support culture and creativity, promote human empowerment and conserve natural resources to achieve positive social impact. Within its wider mission, the Foundation is committed to removing barriers to access in the arts for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and to promoting inclusivity and diversity.

Venue Partner

Central Saint Martins

The cultural life of London is vital only when it reflects and serves all of its community. At the heart of the city's creativity, Central Saint Martins is the perfect place to launch this research and to openly discuss its findings. Together we will collectively interrogate the ways we work – the who, the how and the why of it – and plot routes to a fairer and more inclusive future.