After the pandemic, Britain's arts sector will be less diverse than ever | Nathalie Olah

The bailout is unlikely to reach small organisations or people on lower incomes, leaving the industry open only to a wealthy fewCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe arts and culture sectors are often thought of as vehicles for social mobility, but unpaid internships, low-paid entry-level work and nepotism all make these industries prohibitive to people from low-income backgrounds. This is borne out in numbers: according to one 2018 study by the arts organisation Create London, only 18.2% of people working in music and performing and visual arts grew up in working-class households. In publishing, the figure is a pitiful 12.6%; in film, TV and radio this falls to 12.4%. Take race into account and the figures are even worse: only 4.8% of employees in music, performing and visual arts come from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, while in museums and galleries this figure plummets to 2.7%.Unless the sector strives to represent a cross-section of society, what case does it have to ask for support? Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/21/pandemic-britain-arts-coronavirus-culture-bailout-unlikely-reach-diverse-working-class #culture #uk_news #arts_funding #theatre #stage #music #work_&_careers #coronavirus_outbreak #arts_policy