Elitist Britain 2025: What It Means for the Creative, Cultural and Heritage Sector
The Sutton Trust’s Elitist Britain 2025 report paints a sobering picture of who holds power and influence across UK society. For those working in the creative, cultural and heritage ecosystem, the findings underline the urgency of ensuring our fields are genuinely open to all – not just the privileged few.
The Creative Industries Remain Elitist
Film & TV: 32% of top actors attended private school – still far higher than the population average of 7%. However, this has declined since 2014 (44%); more actors are now attending universities outside the Russell Group, including specialist arts schools.
Pop Music: By contrast, only 10% of top UK pop stars were privately educated, making music one of the less elitist creative fields.
These figures highlight that while music may provide more routes for working-class talent, drama and screen acting remain dominated by privilege.
Declining Social Mobility in Creative Careers
The pipeline into creative work is narrowing:
Young people from working-class backgrounds are four times less likely to work in creative industries than their middle-class peers.
Just 7.9% of creative workers born in the 1990s come from working-class backgrounds, compared to 16.4% of those born in the 1950s–60s.
This shows us that access has worsened considerably over time.
Education Policy is Undermining Creative Futures
The number of pupils taking creative subjects at GCSE and A-level has collapsed – down by as much as 73% in some disciplines since 2010.
Creative degrees are undervalued by policymakers because of lower early career earnings, discouraging investment and aspiration.
This see young people without financial safety nets increasingly shut out from pursuing creative careers.
Structural Barriers Persist
The “nepo baby” phenomenon (children of famous actors/musicians gaining opportunities through family ties) has gained media attention, but the problem runs even deeper.
Internships, entry-level roles, and training opportunities in the arts often go unpaid or underpaid, disproportionately excluding those from low-income backgrounds.
Recommendations for Change
The Sutton Trust doesn’t just diagnose the problem – it sets out a roadmap for action. These recommendations have clear implications for the creative, cultural and heritage ecosystem:
Put social class at the heart of diversity and inclusion
Enact the socio-economic duty clause of the Equality Act 2010.
Explore making social class a legally protected characteristic.
Level the playing field in recruitment and careers
Employers with 250+ staff should report on the socio-economic background of their workforce and monitor “class pay gaps”.
Recruitment should go beyond Russell Group universities, with greater recognition of apprenticeships and specialist arts institutions.
Ban unpaid internships longer than four weeks, and enforce minimum wage rules.
Open up access to skills, education and opportunities
Protect creative subjects in schools and widen access to life skills, careers guidance and extra-curricular activities.
Universities should expand contextual admissions to support students from less privileged backgrounds.
Schools and colleges should embed careers support for pupils without family networks in professional sectors.
Change workplace cultures and progression
Employers should create fairer systems for promotion, mentoring, and retention.
Cultural organisations should collaborate across sectors to share best practice on social mobility.
Why This Matters for Culture and Heritage
Our sector is both a mirror and a maker of society. If the workforce behind our museums, theatres, heritage sites, film sets and music studios does not represent the full diversity of the UK, then the stories we tell will remain partial – reinforcing inequalities rather than challenging them.
A Call to Action
The findings of Elitist Britain 2025 should be a wake-up call. Unless we act, the UK’s creative and cultural life risks becoming ever more the preserve of the privileged – stifling talent, narrowing representation, and weakening our ability to connect with the public.
“This report is a vital wake-up call. It shines a light on the barriers that still prevent too many talented people from working in culture, creativity and heritage – and on the wasted potential that results when opportunity is not shared equitably. At Culture Commons, we welcome these findings and we are committed to doing our part: working with policymakers, funders and practitioners to dismantle structural barriers, expand access to creative education and careers, and ensure that our cultural life reflects the full diversity of the UK. The future vibrancy of our sector depends on it.”
