‘My family is working class. My dad works in a factory and my mum does admin at a school,” says Steph Coathupe, who recently graduated in illustration with animation from Manchester School of Art. “They both worked hard so me and my little sisters could have more freedom than they’ve had.” Even with support from her family, Coathupe felt her peers had more confidence that they would succeed in the arts. “Being a creative person seemed like something they didn’t have to question, like it was meant for them.”

Arts industry report asks: where are all the working-class people? Read more

Working-class people are hugely under-represented in the arts. According to a recent study, the percentage of people employed in publishing with working-class origins is 12.6%. In music, performing and visual arts, it is 18.2%, and in film, TV and radio, it is 12.4%. Experts say the difference that wealth makes to arts students at university is staggering. Diane Reay, a Cambridge professor of education, says there’s no level playing field before or after university. “It’s like arriving at the start line whilst the others are gearing up 10 metres from the finish.”

Although the internet can make it easier to connect with potential employers, the prevalence of unpaid work in the arts reinforces social inequality. Many students feel they lack the right industry connections. Alice Corner comes from a working-class family in Sunderland and studied at Newport Film School. Most people she knew on her course came from families where there was an expectation that they would go to university. Peers often had parents working in creative fields. “The adults in my life were delivery drivers and receptionists,” she says. She felt intimidated by a creative career. “I didn’t really understand the different jobs and career paths as nobody had told me.”

Arts subjects can also be expensive to study. There are research trips abroad, fabrics and materials to be bought. “Having a Mac computer seemed the biggest deal at uni and I couldn’t have one,” says Coathupe. “It is industry standard and pretty much everyone else had one.”

Corner agrees. “I worked in Primark full-time for three months to afford the most basic camera. It was hard not to notice the people getting good marks in their technicals were those with the nicest equipment.”

Students without financial support are often under pressure to work during their degree. Tom Ward (not his real name) is a recent graduate of Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD) and worked most evenings in a pub during his studies. “If you get an audition, how are you meant to do work on scripts, learn lines, make choices on the character – basically all the things you’re taught at drama school – if you don’t finish work until 1am?” he says.

Some students are put off jobs in the arts industry altogether. Stephanie Butcher, a final-year student at Bournemouth University, wants to work in film or TV but feels she lacks the necessary connections. She says being working class and without the money to support herself while doing internships puts her at a disadvantage. “It’s why I’ve chosen to engage in more modern digital content and marketing. There are more opportunities to build your own connections as an individual based on the work you do,” she says.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Making connections can be vital in the creative industries. Photograph: Alamy

Is there anything students can do to improve their prospects? One suggestion is to make the most of societies that provide cheap access to creative resources. A comedy society could take you to the Edinburgh festival, or a student radio station could give you broadcasting training. Making connections and building social networks can be vital in the creative industries, and middle-class students usually know this. Most disadvantaged pupils have to excel academically in school and beat the odds to make it to university in the first place. “Once there, they are faced with the confidence and the sheer pizzazz of middle and upper-class students. That throws them and makes them think they are not as clever as others,” says Reay. “Research shows they often focus almost exclusively on their studies and the need to keep up and so miss out on social activities, clubs and networks.”

Another potential answer is for students to get help from student support services and student unions for money and careers advice. This can be a great help but is only put in place when students seek it out. Although money for bursaries and scholarships varies between institutions, there is often support available. John Watters, professor of graphic design at Leeds Arts University, says universities are increasingly trying to work on professional practice, employability and mentoring. “This can level the playing field,” he says.

Means-tested support is also an option. At Leeds Arts University, there are fee waiver bursaries on offer to encourage participation from low-income households and young people with unemployed parents or guardians. CSSD, using government data on deprivation, offers an audition fee waiver scheme to enable more applicants to audition for a place on their BA acting course. It is increasingly employing student ambassadors to recruit students from economic cold spots such as the East Midlands, the north-west and parts of the south-east around the Thames estuary. “We also offer financial hardship support for students, and are developing regional auditions,” says Ross Brown, dean of CSSD.

Working class art collectives such as Shy Bairns Get Nowt, Lungs and Roughcaste also provide platforms for upcoming artists. Outside of university, schemes such as the INTOFashion programme and Creative Mentor Network work towards addressing issues of access by providing mentoring and masterclasses.

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It is important for young people to study what they love and to feel they belong, says Steven Jones, researcher in higher education at Manchester Institute of Education. “There’s a real danger that creative subjects will become a luxury affordable only to certain kinds of young people, such as those from a well-off background,” he says.