Industry charity The Creative Foundation is taking positive action to break down diversity barriers as it releases its latest report and discussion paper, titled ‘Consciousness, Courage and Commitment’.
In a bid to break down the barriers to a more diverse and inclusive UK creative industry, The Creative Foundation spoke to over 50 respondents from a wide cross-section of underrepresented groups at multiple levels within the creative sectors.
Strategic recommendations include taking a fresh view on leadership, seeing diversity as the solution, not the problem and thinking purpose rather than performance.
The aim is to gain a better understanding of potential barriers to entry and career progression which may stop people from underrepresented communities entering the industry and open the UK creative industries to the “richness of creativity that comes from a more diverse and vibrant talent pool”.
“We are aware that this report could be seen as yet another research report on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), adding to the already extensive discussions and conversations,” said UK Creative Festival and Careers Fair founder, Jeremy Green.
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“This is an action report, the research is not here to deny industry progress moreover it explores, highlights and aims to understand why overall progress on DEI is so persistently slow, disjointed and imbalanced – the net result of which, as the research attests to, places the UK creative industries at risk of losing some of the very best young creative talent the UK has to offer.”
The diversity report is set to frame proceedings at this year’s UK Creative Festival [UKCF] and Careers Fair in Margate, ensuring that The UK Creative Foundation and UKCF’s future plans will drive tangible progress and change.
“UKCF believes that words need real action for genuine, discernible change to occur,” Green continued.
“For this reason, we are calling upon the creative industries to join forces and heed the 20 recommendations outlined within the report to drive tangible progress and change. UKCF encourages those from the creative industries reading this report and attending this year’s UK Creative Festival and Careers Fair to stand up, listen, talk and collaborate.
“We also wholeheartedly encourage business leaders to engage with the multiplicity of organisations already ‘making waves’ and ‘breaking down the barriers to entry and career development in the UK’. The experience, expertise and knowledge is vast: invest in them, work with them, make an actionable difference, and authentically help drive transformation across the creative industries.”
The charity’s diversity report looks to provide tangible action that readers and business owners can take “to help facilitate real change and progress in [their] sphere of influence”.
