Invisible Doors: Barriers to (re)entering the Creative Sector

Young Creatives

Headshot of Priyanka smiling, she's by the sea and you can see the shore behind her
Headshot of Siobhan grinning, with a black top and long curly hair

Commissioned by

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Siobhan McCluskey

Priyanka Raval

YEAR

2022-2023

TAGS

Consultancy: Research, Event Production, Report Writing, Storytelling

70% of participants feel that creative opportunities only exist for people who have parents that can afford to pay for their rent and living costs.

This was one of the stark findings in our report by community members Priyanka Raval and Siobhan McCluskey commissioned by Channel 4 Creative Diversity.

Our researchers worked with our extended networks to explore the barriers people face and what interventions are needed to create meaningful change in the sector. We took a strong storytelling approach and conducted interviews across four months to tell the story about the exclusivity and exploitation in the industry.

The final report details people’s experiences, alonside our extensive recommendations for challenging the status quo and creating a sector inclusive for all.

A photo of the paper report, folded open on a page that says "why change is needed". On the other page it shoes a group of young people in a lecture-type hall looking engaged in a discussion

Photos of our Channel 4 community research lab ‘ Homegrown’. Photography by Mercedes Polo Portillo

impact

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Transparency

The event at Channel 4 with Rising’s community and representatives from different production companies where young people could ask direct questions about making their ideas a reality

conversation

Voice

Focus groups where underrepresented people came together to talk about the realities of their experiences in the sector

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Action

Recommendations from the ‘Invisible Doors’ report will be taken forward by a Steering Group of representatives from across lived experiences and sectors facilitated by Channel 4’s Creative Diversity team and Rising

‘Our respondents overwhelmingly stated how not fitting into the majority (cis, white etc.) was a critical barrier to access. One participant spoke about not being overtly discriminated against but instead having the feeling of 'invisible doors' that they couldn't see or access but that their colleagues could. Invisible doors is a fitting metaphor for the culture in the creative industries.’

— Invisible Doors: Barriers to (re)entering the Creative Sector

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