More young people from working class backgrounds and underrepresented communities outside London are to be encouraged to explore a career in the creative industries as part of a government campaign launching today.
A new report suggests a lack of information, understanding and support is preventing young people from working in creative sectors including film and TV, music, visual arts, advertising and video games.
Government-commissioned research reveals that although nearly one in three (31%) of young people aged 11-18 years old express an interest in pursuing jobs in the creative industries, nearly half (49%) do not know what skills or qualifications are needed to work in the sector.
It comes as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is launching the ‘Discover! Creative Careers’ campaign to increase awareness, consideration and uptake of creative careers among young people aged 13-17 years old, as well as their parents and carers.
Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, said
To keep the magic of our creative industries alive, we must nurture a new generation of talent by demystifying creative jobs and breaking down the barriers currently blocking young people from diverse backgrounds.
Through this campaign, and as part of our Plan For Change, we will launch more young people into exciting creative careers in their communities – building skills, countering misconceptions and raising awareness about the opportunities available.
The campaign has been co-created and co-delivered with trade body CreativeUK and skills provider ScreenSkills. It is supported by organisations including Channel 4, Ubisoft, Netflix, National Youth Theatre, Co-op Live, UKMusic, WPP and UCAS.
Campaign ambassadors include former Coronation Street and Holby City star Angela Griffin, broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Deb Grant and TV producer Cameron Roach.
The campaign kicks off with a month of awareness-raising activities across England, Wales and Scotland. Running from 1-30 November 2025, ‘Discover! Creative Careers Month’ will provide young people ages 11-18 years old with employer-led experiences and opportunities, exposing them to the world of work in the creative industries.
Alongside the Discover! programme’s month of nationwide activities, the campaign prioritises six regions identified in the Government’s Industrial Strategy Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East of England, West of England, West Midlands and West Yorkshire. These areas have growing creative sectors with businesses ranging from gaming studios to advertising agencies, and film production to digital marketing companies.
The campaign will demonstrate to young people of all backgrounds that their interests can be turned into creative careers, and showcase real-life, accessible pathways into these regional creative sectors. It will feature social media, online video and digital advertising on YouTube, Reddit, Meta, Snapchat, UCAS and games such as Minecraft, as well as across advertising spaces and screens in target regions.
The campaign also features a content series made with grassroots organisation Black Creative Trailblazers. The group will help to reach underrepresented communities in the creative industries by facilitating discussions within their network and increasing access to resources, showing young people how they can professionalise their passions.
The Discover! Creative Careers Campaign is part of the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan which was announced in June alongside a £380 million investment package to drive innovation, regional growth and private investment in these high-growth sectors.
Other key findings from the research include
- 23% of young people aged 11-18 years old believe there are no jobs in creative industries where they live
- 36% of young respondents from a C2DE background feel there are no people like them in creative careers
- 16% of 11-18 year olds said that they believed jobs in creative industries are only available in London
- 32% of parents of 11-18 year olds think creative jobs are insecure, with this perception being more prevalent in target regions than London
- 50% of young people aged 11-18 say creative jobs are “interesting” and 44% say they “allow you to pursue your passion” – the top motivators for young people
Actor Angela Griffin said
I’m supporting Discover! Creative Careers as I want to spread the word that getting involved in the creative world is for everybody, no matter where they are from. There are affordable accessible routes that don’t involve having to go to university. I want to encourage young people and let them know that they do belong, they can do it and help them realise their dreams.
Ronke Jane Adelakun & Adeola Adelakun, Black Creative Trailblazers, said
It’s incredibly exciting to be part of a campaign that empowers young people, especially those from underrepresented and often overlooked backgrounds, to see that there’s a place for them in the creative industries.
When we were growing up, the acceptable career paths were limited to becoming a doctor, lawyer or engineer. Being able to challenge that perception and inspire a new wave of creatives is something I’m truly proud of.
Mary Rose, ScreenSkills’ Programme Lead for Discover Creative Careers said
It is abundantly clear from this research and from our steering group partners that our industry-led programme is needed now more than ever. We have been thrilled to work collaboratively with our funders at DCMS and our steering group to continue to design a programme that supports the awareness and interest of young people and gives them a clearer path to follow into our vibrant creative industries. Earlier this year we set out ambitious plans to expand the Discover! Creative Careers programme; including a whole month of industry encounters, supported work experience and sector-based work academy programmes. We aim to reach over 100,000 students by March 2026.
Our success has shown that strengthening connections between education and industry is essential to ensuring every young person has the chance to develop the skills our creative sectors need. This strength along with focused regional engagement, has seen Discover! Creative Careers build partnerships that support and expose young people to opportunities on their doorstep.
Sarah Gregory, Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Creative UK said
Creative UK is proud to partner with employers from across the breadth of the Creative and Cultural Industries to deliver this year’s expanded Discover Creative Careers Month and to engage young people from some of the UK’s least advantaged communities with the possibilities of a creative career.
We are delighted to have this year’s activities elevated by a new DCMS funded communications campaign which has been supported by Creative UK and task & finish group members including the Advertising Association, WPP, Ubisoft, ScreenSkills, Ukie, Channel 4, PRS Foundation, IPA, BPI, and UK Music, along with JC Decaux, Outsmart and Discover Month partners to amplify positive messages about careers in our sector.
Anne Mensah, VP of Content, UK, Netflix said
As others have said before me, ‘Creativity is everywhere, opportunity is not’. That’s why we’re delighted to support the Government’s Discover! Creative Careers campaign to help open doors for young people who might not yet see themselves in this industry. Together with the National Youth Theatre, this is something we continue to address with our IGNITE Your Creativity programme. The initiative, renewed for a third year and bolstered to include an additional element for aspiring writers, underlines our shared mission to nurture new voices and broaden access to creative opportunities across the UK. We want to show that a creative career isn’t a distant dream, it’s an achievable and rewarding path for anyone with imagination, curiosity and drive.
ENDS
Notes
Additional stakeholder quotes
Guy Dunstan, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Co-op Live said
Live music is a sector that’s open and accessible to young people from every background, and we’re proud to be supporting the UK Government to break down barriers of entry, unlocking the brilliant creative potential that exists across the country.
Venues play a vital role in their communities – not just as spaces for entertainment, but as platforms for opportunity. At Co-op Live, we’ve created over 100 permanent jobs since opening last year, recently recruiting 5 new apprentices across core functions, with 80% of our team living within 10 miles of the arena.
The live entertainment industry hasn’t always been given the credit it deserves as home to many exciting, long-term career paths, but that’s changing. The UK’s creative industries lead the world, and have the potential to inspire the next generation.
Nicole Lonsdale, Chief Client Officer, WPP Media OOH, said
We are incredibly proud to have been a part of the DCMS Creative Careers campaign and be able to support this important initiative. We firmly believe in the power of creativity to shape our future, and it’s essential that we inspire and attract the next generation of talent. Thanks to our valued partners who donated OOH space, we were able to amplify the campaign’s message and showcase the diverse and rewarding opportunities within creative industries.
Paul Roseby OBE, CEO & Artistic Director of National Youth Theatre said
For so many school leavers, the plethora of job opportunities in the creative sector remains something of a mystery and out of reach. IGNITE Your Creativity in partnership with and supported by Netflix continues in its third year as a direct response to the skills gap created by this challenge. It offers a beacon of hope with free practical vocational experiences helping to keep our culture alive. This can-do attitude of both National Youth Theatre and Netflix has inspired over 2500 of the next generation of story makers and alongside the DCMS’ Creative Careers campaign we hope to reach many more.
John Yarham, Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, said
The creative industries offer many opportunities but are often seen as out of reach. Our data tells us they are consistently among the top three sectors young people want to work in, yet too many don’t know how to get started.
That’s where great careers education comes in, helping young people learn about jobs and pathways, connect with employers, and see how their creativity can become a career, regardless of where they live or who they know.
Discover! Creative Careers Campaign
More information about the campaign can be found on the Discover! Creative Careers Campaign website.
The full research can be found here.
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Based on research which found that young people and parents want to hear from real people working in creative industries, the campaign features professionals sharing relatable career journeys in four key sectors – film and TV, music, advertising and marketing and video games. The concept aims to myth-bust assumptions about creative careers and demonstrate how early interests, strengths and passions can be harnessed.
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DCMS is pleased to be partnering with UCAS on their ‘Create Your Future’ event in Manchester on 11 and 23 November 2025, where they will be hosting a number of speaking slots and exhibiting with Manchester-based motion animation company Bearded Fellows to showcase unseen opportunities in the creative sector and tackle commonly held myths. This is in addition to a paid media plan utilising a variety of UCAS’s platforms to increase the reach of the campaign to teenage audiences, parents and carers in our target regions.
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A great example of some of the wonderful opportunities available to aspiring creatives around the country is Netflix and the National Youth Theatre’s IGNITE Your Creativity. The partnership, which is happy to announce its return for a third year, is a free programme that spotlights the wide range of highly skilled, behind the scenes careers in film, TV and theatre. This year will be focusing on the Midlands, the West of England and Glasgow and also includes a new writing element to help hopeful regional writers hone their skills.
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Creative UK were pleased to collaborate with campaign steering group members The Advertising Association and WPP Media to achieve a significant level of sector-wide support for the campaign. Advertising agency WPP Media along with trade body Outsmart played a pivotal role in bringing together a wide range of media partners including Bauer Media Outdoor, JCDecaux, Ocean Outdoor, Alight Media, Open Media, Limited Space, Smart Outdoor and Outdo Media; ensuring nationwide coverage of the campaign.
Methodology and sample – Qualitative research
* Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,501 parents of young people aged 11-18-years-old adults, and 1,487 11-18-year-olds, across England. Fieldwork was conducted online between 14-28 March 2025.
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Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.
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Ipsos also conducted qualitative research through 35 face-to-face paired interviews with 52 young people and 18 parents/ guardians. Interviews were with young people aged 11-18 and either another young person or with their parent / guardian. Qualitative fieldwork took place between 10-24 March 2025.
