Working-class people 'blocked' from arts careers, report finds

Young people from working-class backgrounds are being "blocked" from entering the creative industries, which remain "elitist" and inaccessible, according to research.

- Nadia Khomami

A report from the Sutton Trust found stark overrepresentation in the arts for those from the most affluent backgrounds, which it defines as "upper middle-class".

About 7% of people educated in the UK attend private fee-paying schools. However, 43% of Britain's bestselling classical musicians and 35% of Bafta-nominated actors are alumni of private schools.

Additionally, more than half (58%) of classical musicians have attended an arts specialist university or conservatoire, and one in four attended the Royal Academy of Music for undergraduate study. These institutions are dominated by students from the most affluent backgrounds. Twelve per cent of classical musicians attended Oxford or Cambridge.

Among the top actors, 64% have attended university, with 29% attending specialist arts institutions (including conservatoires). A total of 9% attended Oxbridge and a further 6% attended other Russell Group institutions.