The UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has launched a campaign to increase the awareness and uptake of creative careers among young people aged 13-17 years old.
The campaign, called ‘Discover! Creative Careers’, comes as 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.
Lisa Nandy, the UK Culture Secretary, said: “To keep the magic of our creative industries alive, we must nurture a new generation of talent by demystifying creative jobs and breaking down the barriers currently blocking young people from diverse backgrounds.”
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 has kicked off with a month of awareness-raising activities across England, Wales, and Scotland. Running from 1-30 November 2025, ‘Discover! Creative Careers Month’ will provide young people ages 11-18 years old with employer-led experiences and opportunities, exposing them to the world of work in the creative industries.
The campaign prioritises six regions identified in the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy: Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Northeast of England, West of England, West Midlands, and West Yorkshire.
The campaign 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.
The campaign also features a content series made with grassroots organisation Black Creative Trailblazers.
Other key findings from the research include 23% of young people aged 11-18 years old believe there are no jobs in the creative industries where they live. Overall, 36% of young respondents from a C2DE background feel there are no people like them in creative careers.
In a panel at IBC2025, Deepali Narsiker, Head of Allyship and Treasurer at Women in Streaming Media, recently observed that while the media industry’s commitment to diversity is growing, too many efforts remain ‘surface level’, limiting the pace of progress. Discover more here.
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