Context

Between October 2010 and March 2011, A New Direction brought together key public agencies, policy makers and thinkers from across the creative and cultural sectors to take part in a series of roundtable discussions.

Each roundtable event looked at a different aspect of the topic, exploring issues and ideas in relation to how young Londoners develop careers in the creative industries and the arts.

The programme was developed to help shape an agenda for the creative sector in London to tackle issues such as youth unemployment hitting a global high in August 2010 according to the International Labour Organisation, and the effects of the global economic downturn on London's arts and creative industries.

Activity

Three roundtable discussions were held to spark new thinking on how young Londoners get the start they need to build careers in the creative sector. The topics were:

  • Is it all about who you know? (October 2010)
    What are the barriers to entry in the arts and cultural industries, and how can the sector take responsibility for being more open and transparent
  • Creative London 2020 (November 2010)
    How is the most creative city on the planet ensuring its young people are equipped to become the creative workforce of 2020?
  • Young people are the legacy... (December 2010)
    The Olympics and the Cultural Olympiad as a platform for developing the creative skills of Young people in East London. What can the creative sector in East London do to ensure a creative legacy for young people as a result of the Olympics and the Cultural Olympiad?

Outcomes

The sessions were well attended by a wide cross-section of the arts sector and creative industries, and was instrumental in moving our thinking forward in terms of how we might address issues of equity and opportunity for all young people, regardless of background to find routes into these industries.

One tangible result of the programme was the development of CREATE Jobs, which directly looks to address the issue of youth unemployment, by working to introduce young people into the arts and creative industries across the Olympic Host boroughs.

Download the reports

Reports were produced summing up sessions one and two:

Download Is it all about who you know Future Directions Rep

(78.97 kB Pdf)

Download Creative London 2020 Future Directions Report 2

(95.82 kB Pdf)