I always had to work alongside being a recording artist as making music pay enough for it to become a full time career is hugely challenging. Only a small percentage of musicians and producers go on to “make it” and if you have no financial resilience or safety net, you have no choice but to work alongside trying to launch your music career. I managed a record shop alongside recording and DJing and had a sympathetic employer who was himself a musician (he was in the Darts if that rings a bell for anyone). Working class people struggle to get through the door across all of the arts, not just in music. It’s a societal-wide problem. It does not help that so few of the gatekeepers are from working class backgrounds. It’s the same in charities. 1 in 6 charity CEOs went to private school. Less than 6% of children in the UK are privately educated. So 94% of charity CEOs should come from state schools. Go figure. If you want to read more about elitism in the UK there is a great report from the Sutton Trust and the Social Mobility Commission here albeit 5 years old https://lnkd.in/em6q3TTg
The creative industries in the UK have a problem with working-class representation. How can we build a music industry that better reflects our society? We explored the topic in a new feature: https://lnkd.in/ezQZSn-W
Head of Individual Giving & Trusts at Cheltenham Festivals
5moDavid Lacey