Creative workers face a unique set of challenges
The creative industries contribute £126 billion to the UK economy each year.1
The UK art market is the third largest in the world, and is valued at £8.6 billion.2
However, the average amount of money that artists in England earn from their practice is just £6000 per year.3
In fact, degrees in “design, creative and performance arts” have the lowest entry level salaries of any degree subject.4
Staggeringly, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, those who graduate with degrees in the creative arts actually earn less money than non-graduates.5
Why are things going so wrong?
Artists badly need business training
Compared to graduates of other degree subjects, creative graduates are the most likely to say they intend to be self-employed.6
47% of arts graduates intend to be self-employed in the future, vs. just 30% of business graduates.7
This reflects the reality of the creative sector, where workers are three times more likely to be self-employed than the UK average.8
However, creative graduates also report the lowest levels of confidence in their business skills.9
“I have become aware since leaving college that my course did very little to prepare me for working life...”10
“[Artists] need many of the skills which are essential to run a small business e.g., negotiating, decision making, marketing and financial skills.”11
Business skills are almost never taught on creative courses
But other forms of business support, like business accelerator programmes, are not designed with artists in mind – they’re designed for people who want to start businesses.
Most artists don’t share this motivation. They’re driven instead by a strong internal need to create art.
This need to make art is often stronger than the need to earn money.
“In elaborating upon their motivations, many practitioners framed their motivations in terms of: ‘need’, ‘desire’, ‘drive’, ‘passion’.
“Being an artist/practitioner is for many a compulsion that is intrinsically woven into self identity, self-expression, and engagement with the world around them.”12
That’s why our programme of talks and workshops doesn’t just focus on business skills.
It also delves into psychology, neuroscience and anthropology to explore why some people feel such a strong need to create art in the first place.
Where does this need come from? Why did it evolve? And what can it tell us about the role of the arts in wider society?
The creative sector thrives on collaboration and inspiration
But 47% of creative workers are freelancers, compared to just 15% of the UK workforce as a whole.13
Working from home increases social isolation, which can make it harder to find out about professional opportunities.
It can also reduce opportunities to collaborate, or to share knowledge and ideas.
By providing shared workspace and community-building events, we help creatives develop the professional networks that are vital to their careers.
We also help create the meaningful connections that are crucial to their creativity.
New technology is impacting the creative industries at a rapid rate
“Generative AI [is] one of the most significant technological advancements that [will] impact the creative industries over the next five years…”14
Generative AI presents both risks and opportunities to creative workers, and has already thrown up new questions around copyright law.
But other emerging technologies are also likely to impact the creative industries in the coming decades.
Virtual reality / augmented reality, the metaverse, 3D printing and scanning, smart materials, wearable technology and biotechnology all have the potential to radically reshape the creative landscape.
That’s why we’re committed to promoting cross-communication between the arts, tech and enterprise.
We also organise talks and workshops with a focus on new and emerging technology, to help artists and other creative professionals adapt.