Majority of working-class parents against children pursuing arts careers, finds new report

New research from the National Theatre and Netflix shows that 89% of working class parents, guardians and carers say they wouldn’t want their child to pursue a creative career path. 

The study has found that three in four young people in the creative industries aged 16 to 25 say their parents, guardians and carers view thei career as a waste of their education; they favour ‘traditional’ careers in law, finance, medicine and technology for their children because they perceive them to offer good career progression (60%), good pay (58%) and a stable career path (56%).

For young people (16-25) already working in the creative industry, one in four of them said their parents, guardians or carers are unsupportive of their creative endeavours. Close to three quarters say their parents view their career as a waste of their education.