Overview of the UK's creative arts sector

A cornerstone of the UK economy, the creative industries continue to grow. If you'd like to be a part of this thriving sector learn more about the variety of jobs on offer and what to expect from careers in the field

What are the creative industries?

Examples of creative industries include:

art
advertising
craft
design
fashion
film
music
photography
publishing
radio and TV
visual and performing arts.

Together they all form what is known as the UKs creative economy.

How much do the creative industries contribute to the UK economy?

According to statistics from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) the creative industries generated £119.6billion in gross added value (GAV) to the economy in 2023, accounting for 5.2% of all UK GVA.

In 2022 the creative industries grew twice as fast as the UK economy as a whole. IT, software and computer services was the biggest sub-sector of the creative industries, generating £55.4billion GVA, followed by Film, TV, video, radio and photography (£20.8billion).

In March 2024 there were 268,080 business in the creative industries, representing almost 10% of UK registered business. The vast majority (93%) of these companies were micro businesses, employing less than ten people.

How many people are employed in creative sectors?

In 2023 the creative industries employed 2.4million people, 28% of which were self-employed.

While the majority of creative businesses are located in London and the South East, many opportunities are located elsewhere in the UK. Other creative hubs include:

the North West (Manchester)
Yorkshire and the Humber (Leeds)
Scotland (Edinburgh and Glasgow).

What creative industries can I work in?

Employment opportunities can be grouped into:

arts
advertising and marketing
architecture
crafts
design
fashion
film, TV, video, radio and photography
IT, software and computer services
publishing
museums, galleries and libraries
music, performing and visual arts.

Areas of design include:

exhibition
games
graphic
industrial
interior
landscape
product
textiles
theatre.

Working in the sector, you'll have the opportunity to pursue practical roles such as an artist, actor or interior designer, or administrative or managerial jobs such as an arts administrator or museum curator.

There's an increasing overlap with the media and information technology (IT) sectors in relation to the use of digital technology to produce and deliver creative content. This is noticeable in roles such as web designer, animator and game designer.

You'll also find a crossover between this sector and marketing, advertising and PR, with advertising in particular considered a key component of the creative industries.

For examples of job roles in this sector, see creative jobs.

Who are the main graduate employers?

The majority of companies may be small, but the sector also has large well-established organisations that recruit graduates. Examples include:

Advertising - AMV BBDO, Grey UK, Leo Burnett London, McCann.
Cultural heritage - English Heritage, National Trust, National Museum Wales, Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, National Galleries of Scotland.
Design - Jaguar Land Rover, Harrods, AKQA, Big Active.
Fashion - ASOS, Burberry, John Lewis & Partners, Marks & Spencer, Next.
Film/TV – Banijay UK, Ealing Studios, Elstree Studios, Pinewood Studios, Sony Pictures, ITV, BBC, Channel 4.
Music - Opera North, Sony Music UK, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group.
Publishing - Bloomsbury, HarperCollins UK, Oxford University Press, Penguin Random House.
Video games - Codemasters, Creative Assembly, Rockstar North, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), Sports Interactive.

For jobs in the creative industries, speculative applications can be particularly useful as many graduate positions aren't formally advertised - although one valuable networking resource you can use is Creativepool.

In a sector where competition for jobs and graduate scheme places is high, self-employment is a viable option, as is freelancing.

You'll therefore need to develop skills and experience through work experience and paid internships to build your body of work - see 5 tips for getting media work experience and putting together a creative portfolio.

How much can I earn in the creative sector?

This obviously depends on a range of factors such as the job you do, your level of seniority, your employer and your location. Salaries vary widely and you'll need to conduct your own research to find out more about your specific career choice.

However, DCMS statistics put median annual pay in the creative industries in 2023 at £39,366, a third higher than median annual pay for the UK as a whole.

This was reflected throughout all creative industry sub sectors except for museums, galleries and libraries, where earnings were 6% lower than the UK average.

Some of the highest earning sub-sectors in the creative industries, according to DCMS statistics, include:

IT, software and computer services (£44,517 median annual pay)
architecture (£38,495)
film, TV, video, radio and photography (£37,601)
advertising (£36,560)
design and designer fashion (£36,220).

What's it like working in the sector?

Graduates entering the creative arts and design sector can expect:

the need to demonstrate a practical creative talent or to show a passion for art, design, music or other creative pursuits
to spend time practicing and honing their craft - particularly for actors, dancers and musicians
the need to be independent, proactive and resilient
a higher than average likelihood of being self-employed or freelance, or working on short-term contracts
the majority of work to be project-based and deadline-driven
an unsteady income and a lack of job security when you first start out in the industry
working environments to range from offices and art/design/film/photography studios to theatres, museums and music venues
working hours to vary enormously, from regular office hours to working evenings and weekends, and the flexibility of choosing your hours as a freelancer
to have to keep up to date with industry developments
to travel and work away from home depending on your role, for example touring as an actor or musician, or shooting a TV or movie scene on location as part of the crew.

To find out more about typical salaries and working conditions in your chosen creative career, see our creative arts and design job profiles.

What are the key issues in the creative industries?

In 2024 the Labour government identified the creative industries as one of eight 'growth-driving' sectors that will play a key role in its industrial strategy, set to be published in 2025.

The creative industries have been prioritised for targeted financial support and economic development due to their world-leading reputation and potential for further growth.

It's hoped that this new industrial strategy will address some of the barriers to growth in the creative industries such as:

The regulation of the interaction between artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property (IP). This relates to the application of copyright law to the training of AI models. The government has acknowledged that copyright-holders are finding it difficult to control the use of their works in training AI models and to be remunerated for its use.
Creative skills shortages across the UK for example in areas such as design and animation, programming and VFX.
Decline in participation in creative subjects at GCSE, further and higher education level. The number of students taking creative subjects such as music and performing arts has fallen significantly over recent years, partly because of government policy emphasising traditional subjects including maths and science. This could lead to a shortage of creative talent entering this sector in the coming years, potentially stifling its continued growth.

In it's autumn 2024 budget the Labour government pledged to prioritise long-term funding for growth-driving industries and for creative sectors this includes:

Tax reliefs for world-leading creative industries worth 15billion over the next five years.
£3million to expand the Creative Careers Programme.
£25million for the North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA), which will be used to improve the Crown Works Studio site in Sunderland.
a £60million package of support, including investments start-up video game studios, grassroots music venues and creative business.