CMN laughs in the face of inequality

UK charity Creative Mentor Network (CMN) is aiming to make the creative industries more socio-economically diverse and inclusive has partnered with creative agency AnalogFolk to launch Making It In The Creative Industry: A Practical Guide.

Released today this 60-page satirical manual highlights the barriers that young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds face when trying to get a job in the creative industry. The book gives tongue-in-cheek advice and is accompanied by hard-hitting statistics and has a clear CTA to help drive change through mentorship.

Above: The tongue-in-cheek book takes a humorous look at ingrained practices and attitudes like the above, but also gives the bald statistics that show how these established approaches are harming diversity in the creative industries. 

The proportion of people from lower socio-economic backgrounds working in the creative industry has more than halved since the 1970s, falling from 16.4% to just 7.9% and Creative Mentor Network has published the book to address the sad reality of how a certain section of society have been able to get their foot in the door and make their way, while other young people have been prevented. 

There are too many invisible barriers that many people don't think about but are making it even harder for the young creatives in our community.

Creative Mentor Network is working to change this, so that it’s a person’s talent that matters rather than who they know, where they live and the privileges they can afford. The book is a call-to-arms for the industry to become more accessible and inclusive, crucially, provides a way to do so through its mentoring programmes. CMN pairs creative professionals with young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds looking to get into the creative industry and the organisation has distributed 250 limited edition copies of the book to key figures across the creative industry to encourage them to become Creative Mentor Network mentors.

Above: Illustrations in the book were done by award-winning artist Toby Leigh (Tobatron).

"Whilst some people may be able to laugh at themselves, we understand this book may challenge people’s perspectives and make them feel uncomfortable," says Katie Thomson-Greene, Managing Director at Creative Mentor Network. "If that's the case, it highlights that change needs to happen more. For too long, the industry has been dominated by people from higher socioeconomic backgrounds who have not faced the same barriers as those from less privileged backgrounds. 

We envision an industry that values individuality, creativity, and skill above nepotism and homogeneity.

"From unpaid internships, network-driven recruitment and even awareness of the jobs that exist, there are too many invisible barriers that many people don't think about but are making it even harder for the young creatives in our community. Our hope is that this book will shed light on these barriers and inspire individuals and businesses to act towards creating a more diverse and inclusive industry. We envision an industry that values individuality, creativity, and skill above nepotism and homogeneity. This book is a call to action for anyone who shares that vision."