The Environment Agency has blocked access to land in Birtley to reduce the serious risks of illegal waste storage to the environment and local community.

A new toolkit aimed at widening access to the creative industries for people from working class backgrounds has been launched today in an attempt to tackle a ‘class crisis’ in the sector.

The Socio-economic Diversity and Inclusion: toolkit for the creative industries – developed by the Social Mobility Commission in partnership with businesses across the creative industries – offers practical support and guidance to creative employers on how to identify and remove invisible barriers that arise at every stage of the employee journey.

According to new research, just 27% of the creative industries workforce comes from a working class background, compared with 39% of the wider UK workforce. For the ‘advertising & marketing’ and ‘music and performing arts sub-sectors’, the percentage of the workforce from a working class background falls to just 23%.

The unique structures of the creative industries workforce are cited as driving this imbalance, with factors including the high numbers of ‘professional’ jobs within the sector, an entrenched reliance on freelance workers as well as an abundance of unpaid internships creating additional barriers to entry for those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Disproportionate numbers of those in senior roles who attended private school or Oxbridge may also have served to perpetuate understandings of cultural ‘fit’ and accepted behavioural codes within the creative industries, presenting an additional barrier to those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Employers and industry groups from across the creative industries’ sub-sectors have welcomed the toolkit. Those who have contributed or endorsed the toolkit include: The BBC, BFI, UK Screen Alliance, Youth Music British Fashion Council, Museums Association, British Institute of Interior Design and the Publishers Association.

Responding to the release of the toolkit, Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

A working class background should never be a barrier to a successful career in the creative Industries. We want to increase access to opportunities across the board as part of our plan to level up. This new toolkit will help support creative firms become more inclusive and give people the chance to forge a successful career in these exciting sectors.

Caroline Norbury, CEO, Creative Industries Federation, said:

If creativity is to shape a better future for all, then it has to reflect the diversity and breadth of experience found across the country. Ensuring opportunities exist for creative individuals to thrive, no matter their background, is an important step towards achieving this. The Social Mobility Commission’s toolkit is a critical resource for addressing the unacceptable imbalance of socio-economic backgrounds found in the UK’s creative industries

Farrah Storr, Social Mobility Commissioner and Editor-in-Chief, Elle UK said:

It’s been great to see so many within the industry collaborate on the development of this toolkit. For the whole creative sector to remain vibrant, it is vital that we tap into the full potential of the whole population, not just a privileged few.

The creative industries create the culture of the nation, which in turn necessitates full participation from the entire nation. As organisations adopt the actions set out within this toolkit to make socio-economic inclusion a reality, we will become an industry that is both rich in diverse viewpoints, experiences and stories as well as an industry that is built to last.

Heather Carey, from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and Work Advance said:

As we rebuild following the Covid-19 pandemic, it is vital that we widen access to opportunities created in high-growth, high-skill parts of the UK economy, like the Creative Industries. Our research provides definitive evidence on the causes of class imbalances and sets out an ambitious and wide-ranging programme of change to enhance social mobility into the Creative Economy. Government and Industry must seize this moment, as we emerge from an unprecedented crisis, to address the long-standing inequalities in the Creative sector and to grasp the potential offered by diverse talent in the UK to cement our creative excellence and competitive advantage, globally.

The Social Mobility Commission is hosting a public launch event on Monday 11 October, to be chaired by Farrah Storr, SMC Commissioner and Editor-in-Chief of Elle and featuring a discussion with industry insiders: Jamie Gill, CEO ROKSANDA and Executive Board, British Fashion Council; Della Hill, Creative Lead at Literature Wales and Emily Jones, Senior Producer at Sage Gateshead. Register for the event at SocialMobilityWorks.org

Heather Carey from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre will present the findings of PEC’s new research report: Social mobility in the Creative Economy: Rebuilding and levelling up?

Malaysia lies at the heart of Southeast Asia, the heart of ASEAN and the heart of the Indo Pacific. Malaysia is a key partner for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States as we work to achieve a shared vision for the region – one that is open, stable and inclusive, in line with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

Recently our three countries announced an enhanced trilateral security partnership – AUKUS – that will enhance our capacity to develop and share a range of emerging security and defence capabilities. This agreement does not change our ambitions for a peaceful and prosperous region, nor our support for inclusive ASEAN-centred regional architecture. It will strengthen our ability to work with regional partners like Malaysia to forge a secure and stable region and support the rules-based system on which our collective prosperity is built.

It is the sovereign responsibility of every government to pursue the defensive capabilities it needs for its country. As a three-ocean nation dependent on seaborne international trade, Australia requires cutting-edge naval capabilities. For the partnership’s first initiative, we embark on a trilateral effort to seek an optimal pathway to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, leveraging expertise from the United States and the United Kingdom, both of whom have operated such submarines safely for more than 60 years. Nuclear-powered submarines will provide Australia with the capability it needs for its own defence and contribute to a durable strategic balance in our region.

While these submarines will be nuclear-powered, they will not carry nuclear weapons. Australia has been clear that it does not and will not seek such weapons. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States remain steadfast in our support of the nuclear non proliferation regime and Non-Proliferation Treaty. Our commitment to non-proliferation is unchanged and we remain committed to upholding our global leadership in this domain.

This partnership will also enable Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to deepen cooperation on a range of emerging security and defence capabilities, with an initial focus on cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and additional undersea capabilities. Collaboration across these fields will strengthen the ability of each of our three countries to contribute to regional security.

In working together to strengthen our capabilities, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States are committed to supporting a region that places ASEAN at its centre and which aligns with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. All members of AUKUS are ASEAN Dialogue Partners, and all are committed to complementing and strengthening the existing inclusive ASEAN-led regional architecture. AUKUS will also complement our networks of regional bilateral and minilateral partnerships in promoting regional peace, security, and prosperity.

We want to live in a region where all countries are empowered to engage and prosper in a stable, rules-based environment, including the rules enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We want to ensure that all nations in the region have the strategic space to make decisions in their sovereign interests. Our collaboration under AUKUS is guided by our commitment to these ideals, and ultimately to ensuring that we are all able to grow and thrive in an open, inclusive and prosperous region.

This consultation asks for feedback on UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations ID 20: identification of Shigella species.