Addressing Class Disparity in the UK Creative Sector
The Working Arts Club is actively working to address the significant class disparities present within the UK creative sector.
“The problem the art world has with class is a systemic issue and the need for support is everywhere,”says Meg Molloy, the founder of Working Arts Club, an organisation dedicated to assisting individuals from working-class backgrounds in securing employment within the arts.
Established in 2024 as an independent initiative based in London, the club has partnered with prestigious institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), Royal Academy, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Frieze London.
Currently, the club, which organises events such as career meetings, panel discussions, and private exhibition tours, is preparing to expand across the UK. It will launch in Manchester on 24 March, with plans to extend to additional cities thereafter.
“It’s vital that the club expands to the north of England,”Molloy explains.
“The north has an extraordinary art scene but the UK arts industry is undoubtedly London-centric, which creates huge financial and logistical barriers for working-class people outside the capital.
“When access depends on travel, unpaid or badly paid internships, and being physically present in the city, working-class people are being structurally excluded.”
Working Arts Club membership is free and currently includes over 1,000 members based in London.
Molloy adds,
“Anyone from a working-class background working in the visual arts should feel that Working Arts Club exists for them, wherever they are – from a senior leader in a London gallery to someone looking for their first job in the industry in Sheffield.”
Class Disparities Evident Across the Creative Sector
Data highlights a pronounced class disparity within the creative industries, with individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds being significantly underrepresented. This disparity extends beyond artists themselves to include professionals working in galleries, museums, and other cultural institutions.
According to the latest UK government statistics, the creative industries employ approximately 2.42 million people, of whom 78% identify as coming from a “more advantaged socio-economic background.”
Research conducted last year revealed that nearly 30% of artistic directors and other creative leaders were privately educated, compared with a national average of just 7%. Additionally, over a third (36%) of chief executives or executive directors in these organisations attended private schools.
Molloy, who has over a decade of experience in the arts and works as a consultant for artists and galleries, describes her professional environment as one dominated by individuals who had attended private schools and studied art history, a subject scarcely available in state education.
“There’s no diversity of voice or thought in that, and it’s creating a bubble. It’s exclusionary, unfair and ultimately makes the art world less vibrant and harder for working-class people to infiltrate,”she says.
Building a Supportive Network for Working-Class Creatives
Working Arts Club has developed a network connecting creative job-seekers and professionals through its newsletter and WhatsApp group, where job vacancies and events are regularly shared.
“Those who are just starting out in the sector can immediately be chatting with experienced people from large organisations,”says Kirsty Jukes, communications officer at Manchester Art Gallery, who will lead the northern branch of the club.
“Having seen the benefits of the London iteration myself, I know it would be a great network to have up here as well.”
Amy Gilles, 31, a club member and operations manager at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, noted that the club has made networking significantly more accessible.
“I received a free ticket to attend Frieze Art Fair, which is incredibly expensive and a huge financial barrier. Being able to go and see how the industry works was hugely impactful,”Gilles said.
Other members emphasise the importance of class-based initiatives within the sector. Jennifer Jones, 26, a club member and founder of a working-class artist group, stated,
“Networks, clubs and collectives focused on working-class people are so important because they create spaces where shared realities don’t need explanation.”
She added,
“I’d been feeling like no one around me understood how much harder it is to be in these spaces and to balance everything when you don’t have financial support, don’t have industry connections and don’t understand the social codes or how the industry works because you come from outside of these circles.”
Expansion Plans and Future Initiatives
In addition to the launch event in Manchester, the club will host a social event in Liverpool in April. As part of its expansion, Molloy and Jukes aim to collaborate with galleries, museums, and art fairs in northern England to organise panel discussions and tours for club members.
Molloy stated that the club is seeking funding
“to make the network sustainable and allow it to grow.”
