What skills do arts graduates need?

It’s common knowledge that work in the cultural sector is often underpaid, precarious and inequitable. It’s a situation that has only become worse in recent years due to the stagnating economy, arts funding cuts, as well as changes in higher education funding, where students now carry increasing debt towards a career in a sector where jobs are becoming increasingly scarce. For many young graduates, finding work in this sector also depends on being able to undertake one or multiple internships, which are more likely than not underpaid or unpaid. We need to stop assuming students are completely unaware of the nature of work in the sector There is an expectation now that higher education institutions have a role in producing “work ready” or “employable” students. As a tutor on an arts management programme at Birkbeck, this is one of the constant issues my colleagues and I struggle with as we try to prepare students for the challenges of developing a career in the sector. What students want So what do young people want from an arts industry education? We worked with students and sector pros to answer that question. Through a roundtable discussion and workshop session, each group was able to talk honestly about issues surrounding work in the sector. Tutors present at both discussions thought about how the concerns raised could be turned into a curriculum that would better prepare students for work in the cultural sector. The end result was a five-week workshop series that contains a list of discussions and tasks, some of which are highlighted below, that sough t to address the issues raised. One of the key things we learned is that we need to stop assuming students are completely unaware of the nature of work in the sector. To put it simply: they do know that work in this sector is built on short-term contracts and portfolio work. But current career development advice still focuses predominately on jobs that are permanent, stable and based on a standard, predictable career progression. The continued emphasis on well-put together resumes and cover letters being the main tools required when seeking employment doesn’t take into account hiring practices in an industry where self-employment and portfolio careers are commonplace. Reflection, experience and expression We also asked students what they wanted alongside their studies: essentially, what concepts or things could we implement that would help them better prepare for work in this industry? The first was a physical space for reflection. The cultural sector is an amazing and exciting place to work because of the various types of roles and jobs available across so many different artforms. But such an array of opportunities can also be daunting when a fresh graduate is trying to find a way in. As a result we developed a series of workshops organised around guest lectures and practical exercises to provide students with the opportunity to think and wor k through what it means to be successful or how to deal with failure. It sounds conceptual, but it’s invaluable in a sector rife with overnight success stories and constant rejection that can often feel more personal than professional. Humour, anger, passion and quirks – life at the sharp end as an arts freelancer The second thing students wanted was experience: somewhere to practice what they felt were essential skills needed to obtain work in the sector. These skills ranged from how to put together a 10-minute pitch to knowing what your employment rights were if you were commissioned for a project or self-employed. .On this front we invited sector professionals with relevant experience to speak to students about how to maintain a portfolio career and how to pitch. These talks offered them a chance to link what they had learned in class to practice in the field.

Students found these workshop series particularly helpful in providing an opportunity for their third want: expression. The workshops gave them a place to learn more about how to present themselves both verbally and non-verbally. Some of the questions they tackled were: How does one behave in a sector where seemingly anything goes? Are power suits and court shoes still expected or are sneakers and jeans acceptable? Being able to speak and meet with people working in the sector offered students an invaluable opportunity to see how culture pros conduct themselves. Next steps The curriculum we developed is by no means perfect and there are limitations. For example, we need to address work internships, still seen by many as the standard route to a cultural sector career. Here, we developed a series of work placement contracts that, while unable to address inequality of access, hopefully mitigate the potential exploitative nature of some of them and ensure these internships are genuine learning opportunities for everyone.

That said, we’re still working with practices in a sector that, to an extent, does not offer equality of opportunity and whose workforce does not reflect the diversity of society. The next step of this work, which will be more difficult, is to find a way to challenge current practices in the sector that might engender a shift in employment practices. Lorraine Lim is lecturer in arts management at Birkbeck Join our community of arts, culture and creative professionals by signing up free to the Guardian Culture Pros Network.