Attracting and retaining a wide and diverse talent pool is a must for any forward-thinking team. Yet those from privileged backgrounds are more than twice as likely as those from working class backgrounds to land a job in a creative occupation, dominating key creative roles in the sector.
What goes on in the creative sector plays a significant role in shaping the national conversation – representation matters. This sector knows better than any other that diversity breeds creativity. Forward thinking employers within the industry are already making socio-economic inclusion a goal in their organisations, but we know there is still much work to be done.
We invite you to join us for a discussion on the importance of socio-economic inclusion within the Creative Industries – about how you as leaders and employers can make the practical changes to make the goal – that of a diverse and inclusive creative sector – a reality.
Social Mobility Commissioner, and Editor-in-Chief at ELLE UK, Farrah Storr will chair the panel discussion, and will be joined by the following Industry insiders who through first-hand experience understand how challenging it is to access the sector and their thoughts on what practical changes are needed to ensure the creative industries become more inclusive:
– Jamie Gill, CEO ROKSANDA and Executive Board, British Fashion Council
– Della Hill, Creative Lead at Literature Wales
– Emily Jones, Senior Producer at Sage Gateshead
We’ll also be joined by Heather Carey from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) who will provide us with insight into their third paper in their ‘Class and the Creative Industries programme’
Additional information:
Our panellists:
Jamie Gill, CEO ROKSANDA and Executive Board, British Fashion Council.
Jamie grew up in Derbyshire in a working-class British-Indian home; his Mother worked part-time for the Police and his Father ran a takeaway business. His passion for art, design and luxury brands became pillars of what would be an incredible and swiftly ascended future career spanning Architecture, Design, Consulting, M&A, Venture Capital as well as scaling luxury fashion brands.
During his tenure at ROKSANDA, he has focused on: restructuring the business, delivering a number of improved key business metrics, as well as launching global collaborations, particularly with Lululemon and many in the pipeline for 2022 onwards. He has used the recent lockdown to flesh out the company’s sustainability manifesto.
Jamie is passionate about mentorship and championing emerging British brands on an
international level, whilst seeing diversity and inclusion as key to positive change for the future.
Della Hill, Creative Lead at Literature Wales
Della is the Creative Lead at Literature Wales, the national company for the development of Literature. She specialises in stretching and implementing Literature Wales’ Representation & Equality Priority and oversees Representing Wales: Developing Writers of Colour, an exciting new programme designed to further diversify the sector. Della is an alumnus of Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries. Della is about to join Chwarae Teg, the charity inspiring, leading and delivering gender equality in Wales, as their Diversity & Inclusion Lead in October 2021.
Della is the Creative Lead at Literature Wales, the national company for the development of Literature. She specialises in stretching and implementing Literature Wales’ Representation & Equality Priority and oversees Representing Wales: Developing Writers of Colour, an exciting new programme designed to further diversify the sector. Della is an alumnus of Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries. Della is about to join Chwarae Teg, the charity inspiring, leading and delivering gender equality in Wales, as their Diversity & Inclusion Lead in October 2021.
Emily Jones, Senior Producer at Sage Gateshead
Sage Gateshead is a music centre and charity in the North-East, and one of the largest cultural organisations in the country. Founded in 2004 with two core principles – excellence and inclusion – has meant that diversity and inclusion is a fundamental part of the organisation and the way they operate.
Sage Gateshead is a music centre and charity in the North-East, and one of the largest cultural organisations in the country. Founded in 2004 with two core principles – excellence and inclusion – has meant that diversity and inclusion is a fundamental part of the organisation and the way they operate.
Further information:
At the event, we’ll be sharing findings and guidance from our Employers’ toolkit due to be published late September 2021. Working with industry bodies, charities and employers within the sector, as well as generating new analysis and industry benchmarks, the Social Mobility Commission has created a ‘Socio-economic diversity and inclusion toolkit for Creative Industries’. It is intentionally stretching in its commentary and recommendations, and it presents a roadmap for employers in the sector to drive improvements in society, the economy and people’s lives.
The PEC paper ‘Social mobility in the creative economy: rebuilding and levelling up’, published on 9 September 2021, makes the case for sharpening the focus on socio-economic diversity, set out the priorities for building a more socially inclusive creative economy and shape an agenda for change