Who is ‘working class’ and why does it matter in the arts?

<p>Prominent figures in the arts say class is a key factor that determines who can make it in the creative industries</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/21/working-class-creatives-dont-stand-a-chance-in-uk-today-leading-artists-warn">Working-class creatives don’t stand a chance in UK today, leading artists warn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/21/nine-working-class-creatives-on-class-in-the-arts-and-how-they-made-it">Interviews: Nine working-class creatives on class in the arts – and how they made it</a></li></ul><p>In recent years, a string of academic reports have shown in stark terms just how elitist the arts have become over the last four decades. The proportion of working-class actors, musicians and writers has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/dec/10/huge-decline-working-class-people-arts-reflects-society">shrunk by half</a> since the 1970s, according to one piece of research, while another study found <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/article/2024/may/18/arts-workers-uk-working-class-roots-cultural-sector-diversity">fewer than one in 10</a> arts workers in the UK had working-class roots.</p><p>Sutton Trust research released last year found the creative industries were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2024/nov/13/young-working-class-people-being-blocked-from-creative-industries-study-finds">dominated by people from the most affluent backgrounds</a>, which it defined as those from “upper middle-class backgrounds”, while a Netflix report claimed working-class parents <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/article/2024/sep/04/working-class-parents-do-not-see-film-and-tv-as-viable-career-for-their-children">did not see film and TV as a viable career</a> for their children.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/21/who-is-working-class-and-why-does-it-matter-in-the-arts">Continue reading...</a>