Youth, diversity & the Creative Industries

The screen industries (comprising television, film, VFX, animation and games) are a national and international success story for the UK but the workforce fails to reflect the rich diversity of the UK population with “the working class, women and people of marginalised genders, people of colour, those with disabilities and those with caring responsibilities” struggling to access and progress in the screen industries2. Two thirds of employers from the sector report that a lack of applications from under-represented groups as a key barrier to improving diversity in their workforce but numerous studies have indicated the prevalence of inequality and discrimination in the industry

This research, deliberately focused on underrepresented demographics, that is, those from ethnic minority backgrounds or lower socio-economic groups who are a lower percentage of the workforce than the general population. The study has interviewed 108 young people in tertiary education (aged 16-18) living in South and West Yorkshire.