The Guardian – Lucy Jolin
““I love music, being part of it, playing it,” says drummer, recording studio technician and session musician Oli Mason, 23. “That gives me a feeling I don’t get with anything else. Yes, there’s less stability in the creative world – but you love what you’re doing.” Mason, who graduated from Falmouth University in 2013 with a degree in music, is just one of the estimated 2.62 million people currently working in the UK’s creative industries – a sector that includes everything from fashion design to advertising and computer programming. According to the government, in 2013 the creative industries were worth £76.9bn annually – up from £70bn in 2012. The creative industries have traditionally been seen as hard to break into, but that’s changing. “They’re so broad, and there’s a lot on the ground happening to make sure people can get these jobs,” says Dawn Ashman, director of creative industries at the Arts Council. “Britain has always invested heavily in arts and culture.” And you don’t necessarily have to do unpaid internships to get a foot in the door. Campaigns led by Creative and Cultural Skills – the employer-led organisation that aims to encourage creative work opportunities – have improved access to entry-level jobs, placing almost 4,000 young people in apprenticeships since 2008. “We’re very conscious of issues like unpaid internships, which we feel contribute to this feeling that the creative sector isn’t as diverse as it needs to be,” says deputy chief executive Catherine Large.”(more)