Employers in arts sector could be breaking law over use of interns

Arts employers could be breaking the law by relying on unpaid interns to perform roles that should be left to paid workers, preventing young people from working-class backgrounds from gaining a foothold, experts have said.

- Nadia Khomami

Institutions are getting away with exploiting carve-outs in employment legislation to keep interns working for free, they said, which stops working-class people from finding paid work in the industry.

The claim comes after prominent figures across the arts and culture sector raised the alarm about the lack of working-class talent in their industries. A Guardian survey of the 50 organisations that receive the most Arts Council funding has revealed that 30% of artistic directors and other creative leaders were privately educated, compared with a national average of 7%.

British law mandates that interns are entitled to pay if they meet certain criteria, such as agreed hours, days and duties. But the creative industries have become inured to using young people without penalty, according to those working to improve access and development.