As the new school year begins, the Labour government has committed to expanding creative opportunities in the curriculum, particularly for working-class children. The ISM supports this ambition; we believe every child should have access to high-quality music education in schools. When schools prioritise creative subjects, both society and the economy benefit. There's a wealth of benefits from students accessing music and creative education in school, and it's also crucial to the creative industries talent pipeline. In 2022 the creative industries added £124.6bn to the UK economy, representing 5.7% of the total; 2.4 million jobs were filled in these industries, with 283,000 in music, performing and visual arts alone.
Barriers in gender, social and racial backgrounds
Significant barriers to entry persist, however, particularly for those from working-class backgrounds. Individuals from privileged backgrounds are twice as likely to be employed in the creative industries compared to their working-class counterparts. In 2020 just over half of those in creative occupations came from privileged backgrounds, while only a quarter came from working-class backgrounds according to a 2021 report by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC).
Despite ongoing efforts to improve diversity, the likelihood of working-class people finding work in creative occupations has remained largely unchanged.
Women held only 37.9% of roles within the sector in 2023 – 10% lower than the overall representation of women in the UK workforce. Additionally, 15% of the creative workforce had a disability, and 16.4% belonged to a global majority group, figures that broadly align with the national average. However, disparities persist, particularly for Black professionals. According to a 2021 survey by Black Lives in Music, 88% of Black music professionals reported barriers to progression in the industry. The survey also revealed that white music professionals were more likely to have a music-related qualification and earned more pre-Covid compared to their Black counterparts.
Financial barriers
There are also financial barriers, as highlighted by the Child Poverty Action Group in their 2022 report Cost of the School Day. They found that ‘the cost of participating fully in musical opportunities at school is preventing pupils in low-income families from flourishing. Limited and stretched household incomes are directly having an impact on engagement and achievement in music for young people in England.’
The Social Mobility Commission found that cuts to extracurricular music activities have implications for social mobility, particularly when it comes to university applications. As disadvantaged students are less likely to get these opportunities outside school, the gap between those students and more advantaged students in terms of university entry is likely to increase. The Commission's 2019 report An Unequal Playing Field found that young people who attend music classes regularly are almost 40% more likely to aspire to pursue further education. However, they found that only 11% of the lowest income households took part compared to 32% from households with the highest incomes.
Pathways into the creative industries
The pathway into the creative industries is not clearly defined, making it difficult for those starting out to see a viable entry route. At 16, young people may choose between A Levels, vocational or technical qualifications, or apprenticeships. However, music apprenticeships remain scarce, geographically limited, and often broad or only tangentially related to music and virtually impossible to find for 16-year-olds.
Analysis of Ofqual data for England shows that even when schools are entering pupils for GCSE or A Level Music, the outcomes differ depending on the type of school they attend. In 2024, 65% of students in independent schools received a grade 7 or above in GCSE Music compared to 29% in comprehensive schools. At A Level, 39% of students in independent schools received an A grade or above compared to 19% in comprehensive schools.
Many of the students you teach this year will have careers outside the creative industries; but for those who want to pursue a career within them, it is vital there is a pathway. If a qualification isn't on offer at their local school or college, they don't live in part of the country where apprenticeships are available in their chosen field, or they are unable to access opportunities due to their backgrounds, the pipeline is damaged and with it the next generation of musicians, music educators and music industry professionals.
