More young people from working class and underrepresented backgrounds in Greater Manchester are to be encouraged to explore a career in the creative industries as part of a government campaign launching today.
A new report suggests a lack of information, understanding and support is preventing young people from working in creative sectors including film and TV, music, visual arts, advertising and video games.
Government-commissioned research reveals that although nearly one in three (31%) of young people aged 11-18 years old express an interest in pursuing jobs in the creative industries, nearly half (49%) do not know what skills or qualifications are needed to work in the sector.
The research showed that the attitudes of young people outside of London were significantly less positive than those who live in London, with almost 1 in 4 (23%) believing there are no jobs in creative industries where they live.
Greater Manchester was one of six priority regions with growing creative sectors identified in the Government’s Industrial Strategy. It is home to the largest number of creative businesses in the UK outside of London, and has world class creative developments, from MediaCityUK and BBC North to the School of Digital Arts and Factory International.
It comes as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is launching the ‘Discover! Creative Careers’ campaign to increase awareness, consideration and uptake of creative careers among young people aged 13-17 years old across Greater Manchester, as well as their parents and carers. The programme gives young people direct access to employers and businesses in their local area, through experiences of the workplace and employer-led careers activities.
Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, said:
“A fulfilling career in the creative industries is more accessible than parents and young people realise – it is no longer the sole preserve of those in the South East.
“Greater Manchester’s creative industries are a cultural and economic powerhouse and we recently announced £25 million to help grow them even further.
“But in order to keep their magic alive, we are going to nurture a new generation of talent in Manchester by demystifying creative jobs and breaking down the barriers blocking people from diverse backgrounds from pursuing them.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:
“Greater Manchester has creativity in its DNA and has been the birthplace of cultural icons that have influenced millions around the world. But too many young people still can’t see a clear path into creative careers or don’t feel those industries are for them.
“This campaign is about changing that. Alongside it, through our own Greater Manchester Baccalaureate, we’re creating more pathways for young people to turn their passions into lifelong careers in the creative industries. When we open up these opportunities and make them accessible to everyone, we don’t just change lives, we strengthen the creative heart of our city region.”
The campaign has been co-created and co-delivered with trade body CreativeUK and skills provider ScreenSkills. It is supported by organisations including Channel 4, Ubisoft, Netflix, National Youth Theatre, Co-op Live, UKMusic, WPP and UCAS.
Campaign ambassadors include former Coronation Street and Holby City star Angela Griffin, broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Deb Grant and TV producer Cameron Roach.
The campaign will demonstrate to young people of all backgrounds that their interests can be turned into creative careers, and showcase real-life, accessible pathways into these regional creative sectors. It will feature social media, online video and digital advertising on YouTube, Reddit, Meta, Snapchat, UCAS and games such as Minecraft, as well as across advertising spaces and screens in target regions.
DCMS is partnering with UCAS on their ‘Create Your Future’ event in Manchester on 11 and 23 November 2025, where they will be hosting a number of speaking slots and exhibiting with Manchester-based motion animation company Bearded Fellows to showcase unseen opportunities in the creative sector and tackle commonly held myths. This is in addition to a paid media plan utilising a variety of UCAS’s platforms to increase the reach of the campaign to teenage audiences, parents and carers in our target regions.
The campaign also features a content series made with grassroots organisation Black Creative Trailblazers. The group will help to reach underrepresented communities in the creative industries by facilitating discussions within their network and increasing access to resources, showing young people how they can professionalise their passions.
The Discover! Creative Careers Campaign is part of the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan which was announced in June alongside a £380 million investment package to drive innovation, regional growth and private investment in these high-growth sectors.
