Arts, culture and creativity
A Class Act: Social Mobility and the Creative Industries
Sutton Trust · 2024
About this report
This report examines socio-economic inequalities in access to creative higher education and the creative industries in the UK. Using new analysis of HESA Student Records data (2017/18–2021/22) and the Labour Force Survey (2014–2022), alongside desk-based research into the educational backgrounds of elite figures in TV, film and music, it finds that students from working-class backgrounds are significantly underrepresented on creative degrees at prestigious universities and specialist conservatoires, and that privately educated individuals dominate high-profile creative careers, particularly in classical music and acting. The report calls for action from government, higher education institutions and employers to improve access across the education pipeline and the creative workforce.
Research details
- Methodology
- Secondary analysisOtherMixed methods
- Sample size
- 9,601,180
- Sample
- Higher education students and recent graduates on creative programmes in England (and UK-wide institutions) drawn from HESA Student Records 2017/18–2021/22; creative workers drawn from ONS Labour Force Survey 2014–2022 (c.15,500 creative workers); and elite figures in TV, film and music identified via award nominations and chart positions.
- Place
- UK-wide
- Youth involvement
- No youth involvement
- Funder
- Citi Foundation