Recommendation 12

HM Government · verbatim extract Not Addressed

Over the previous decade, the creative industries workforce grew at almost five times the rate of the rest of the economy. Evidence shows that creative jobs are highly skilled, innovative and resistant to automation, and they are likely to continue to be in great demand in the future. The Government recognises that there are not only skills gaps and shortages in some parts of the creative industries as a result of this growth, but that the creative workforce - according to recent research co-funded by DCMS33- is under- represented by people from low socio-economic backgrounds. As part of the Creative Industries Sector Vision - due to be published in the coming months - DCMS and industry will set out our shared ambitions to tackle skills gaps and shortages, including removing barriers to entry and progression in the creative workforce. The Government’s Cultural Education Plan is due to be published later this year and will be clear in its ambition that all children and young people in England can access a high- quality and industry-connected cultural education. This provision will aim to strengthen talent pipelines into the cultural and creative sectors in the long term (this is covered in more detail in the response to the recommendation in paragraph 95, below). Similarly, the Government’s recently relaunched Creative Careers Programme will provide specialist information, advice and guidance regarding creative careers to young people across the country. It will specifically target young people from underrepresented backgrounds across 53 priority areas, determined by data regarding proportions of Free School Meal pupils, cultural capital, ethnicity and disability. The Government and its cultural, heritage and wider Arms-Length Bodies are also working to ensure organisations in the cultural and creative sectors are doing their best to improve working conditions, as set out below. DCMS part-funded the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre’s Independent Review into Job Quality and Working Practice in the Creative Industries - the first sectoral review of its kind - which is due to publish early this year and sets out recommendations across four priority areas34 for both industry and government to improve working practice across the UK. More broadly, Arms-Length Bodies are working closely with organisations in the sector to improve working conditions. For example, last year Arts Council England published an information sheet on Supporting Practitioners.3535 It sets out expectations for organisations working with freelance creative and cultural practitioners, as well as signposting to examples of good practice. While focused on freelance practitioners, the principles of fair and transparent treatment also apply to culture sector employees. Arts Council England expects all funded organisations to treat freelance practitioners fairly and transparently, and to ensure that the needs of freelancers are properly considered when recruiting, commissioning, and working with freelance practitioners. This includes ensuring that rates of pay are in line with, or better than, recognised codes of practice and guidelines set by the relevant lead bodies. Applicants to Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants must explain how they have calculated fees for any artists and professionals involved in their project. Organisations should make sure that practitioners are properly welcomed and inducted into the organisation including making sure that the practitioner has access to any relevant policies (such as safeguarding) and that they know who to speak to if they have any issues or concerns. Arts Council England recognises that sometimes projects do not go to plan, or that existing relationships between freelancers and organisations can sometimes stop being positive. Where this is the case, organisations are expected to maintain fair and transparent treatment, and to ensure that both parties are protected; for example, if a contract is ended mid-way through, the freelancer should still be paid for the work to date. Good practice in working with practitioners goes beyond fair pay and fair treatment when working together. Arts Council England encourages organisations to consider how they can support their local freelance ecology in other ways, such as providing access to workspace, training or equipment, or offering support and advice. This is not a replacement for paid work but can form part of an organisation’s wider offer for freelancers. This also includes ensuring that the needs and voices of freelance practitioners are included in their thinking and delivery. ‘Increasing our support for Individuals’ is one of the five themes in Arts Council England’s Delivery Plan 2021–2024. It sets out a number of Actions which will support Arts Council England’s progress against this theme. This includes refreshing National Lottery Project Grants to improve how they support individuals and maintaining an increased budget for Developing your Creative Practice: a programme exclusively for individual practitioners to support them to make a step-change in their practice. This theme also includes the development of resources to support individual practitioners, such as signposting to relevant training and development opportunities, and an upcoming toolkit to support practitioners and local bodies (e.g. Local Authorities, universities, clinical commissioning groups) to work together in their locality. In summer 2022, Arts Council England commissioned Freelance: Futures, a nine-week programme of learning and action, focused on the freelance cultural workforce. It brought together individuals, organisations, funders and policy-makers to build equitable working conditions in the cultural sector. Historic England launched its Strategy for Inclusion, Diversity and Equality (published November 2020) to provide inclusive working conditions within its organisation.36 This also provides sector leadership, recognising that heritage skills are often vital for the creative industries as well. Since the Strategy launch Historic England has provided 31 apprenticeships and hosted 23 Kickstart Placements, several leading to employment with the organisation. It has also provided 140 young people with work experience places and hosted 13 ‘positive action’ placements (with bursaries) for people from under-represented groups (in partnership with Mobility Foundation, Leonard Cheshire, and Blueprint for All). Historic England’s drive to employ a diverse workforce is supported by its regional network of offices including Newcastle, Manchester, York, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Swindon and Portsmouth - providing many points of access to careers across the creative and wider sectors. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is also improving conditions in the heritage and wider creative workforce. Employment law sets out a clear difference between volunteers and paid workers or employees (including apprentices), and the Fund signposts guidance on employment status, volunteering, and employment rights for interns. It is also clear that it does not support unpaid internships, and that it encourages paid training placements. In addition, applicants for National Lottery Heritage Fund funding must use the Living Wage rate (and London Living Wage where applicable) for all project staff, with evidence of this asked for in budgets. Lastly, the British Film Institute (BFI) has been an industry leader in supporting film and wider screen workplaces to be free from bullying, harassment and discrimination (BHD). All BFI-funded productions are required to implement its 2017 BHD guidance as a contractual requirement. These are embedded in the BFI Diversity Standards which are used across all their National Lottery Funded programmes - as well as having been adopted by organisations including BAFTA, BIFA, Film4, BBC Films, Screen Scotland and Paramount UK. Furthermore, in response to industry feedback, an additional Action List for employers was launched in 2021 to help proactively tackle bullying, harassment and racism in the workplace.37 The BFI has also provided additional funding for productions to employ Wellbeing Facilitators–providing a point of contact for any issues arising, such as mediating conflict and investigating any instances of poor behaviour. The BFI was commissioned by DCMS to undertake a comprehensive Film and High End TV Skills Review which was published in June 2022 to address the acute skills shortage the sector is facing following a period of rapid growth. A core part of the review focused on workforce retention making recommendations for a more formalised approach to hiring, workplace management, and professional development to create more supportive, inclusive, and attractive working environments. The BFI is now engaging with the sector to coordinate action to address their findings and act on their recommendations.