THE WORKING CLASS CREATIVES
MISSION AND VISION
WHO ARE WE?
Working Class Creatives is an arts organisation that confronts class based issues within creative industries. We facilitate a space that puts working-class creatives at the forefront; A space for conversation, connections, and sharing of opportunities, skills, and knowledge.
We envision a creative industry where working-class voices are equally represented, valued, and influential. Our goal is to eliminate barriers of class, ensuring that all creatives regardless of their background, have the opportunity to thrive, innovate and contribute meaningfully to the arts.
WHAT WE DO:
We Provide a Platform, Highlighting Working Class Creatives
We showcase and elevate the voices and work of working-class creatives through our online database, website, social media, and in-person events, ensuring they have the visibility and recognition they deserve within the arts industry.
Our 17k+ Instagram reach, high online engagement and collaborations with institutions like Yorkshire Sculpture Park has led to gallerists, buyers, producers and collaborators connecting with and supporting our creatives.
According to our 2025 Impact Survey, lack of visibility is a top barrier for 64.2% of our members. Our platform plays a crucial role in addressing this gap, with many members reporting increased exposure, meaningful connections, and invitations to participate in exhibitions and projects directly through their WCC involvement.
We Create Opportunities & Level the Playing Field
We create and facilitate opportunities that bridge the gap for working-class creatives, ensuring equitable access to resources, education, and professional development. Through partnerships with organisations across the UK, we facilitate exhibitions, residencies, talks, and editions that amplify their voices.
Our collaborations with places across the UK such as Aspex Portsmouth, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Acrylicize, London have enabled over 30 residencies, providing creatives with space, materials, and exposure to advance their practice. We’ve supported over 70 creatives with exhibitions, partnering with galleries such as Pineapple Black Middlesbrough, SET Woolwich and 87 Gallery Hull, where our exhibition drew record-breaking local engagement. These opportunities have led to creatives being selected for prestigious prizes like New Contemporaries, studying at institutions such as The Royal Academy and securing job roles within creative industries. Our programming includes insightful talks, such as a series with Second Art Gallery, addressing key topics like networking, funding, and overcoming imposter syndrome.
WCCD also connects creatives with a network of over 40 professionals offering mentorship, along with practical resources, how-to guides, and a biweekly newsletter with the latest opportunities.
Our 2025 Impact Survey confirms that 87.7% of members cite lack of funding and 69.1% limited access to opportunities as major barriers. In response, our programmes provide tangible outcomes, with members reporting successful grant applications, job placements, collaborations, and exhibition opportunities as a direct result of their engagement with WCC.
Our talks and events are also highly valued, especially those focused on class, funding, and industry navigation. Members have reported increased industry awareness, confidence, and networking benefits from participating in our programming—and have requested deeper exploration of themes like class and disability, mental health, and practical career advice.
We Build a Supportive Community for Working-Class Creatives
We provide a vibrant community and support network for over 1,000 working-class creatives across the UK. Our activities include community-led projects, reading groups, critical feedback sessions, skill and resource sharing, and both online and in-person meetups.
Members stay connected through WhatsApp, where they share opportunities, peer support, and advice. Together, they organise exhibitions at venues like Hypha Studios, run workshops like life drawing, and take group trips to places such as the Museum of Youth Culture and Frieze London. Our regular meetups across the UK foster connection, collaboration, and creative growth.
The WhatsApp group is consistently cited as one of the most valuable aspects of WCC, serving as a hub for opportunity-sharing, peer support, and collaboration. Over 51.9% of members say WCC helped them form a supportive creative community, while others credit it with improving their mental wellbeing, confidence, and professional networks. From job leads and mentorship to emotional support, our community-driven model is a lifeline for creatives navigating the industry.
We Bring Class to the Forefront in Creative Industries
We lead the conversation on class in the creative industries, challenging classism and advocating for greater inclusivity and awareness. Through public events centred on class issues, we encourage crucial conversations that drive change. We have delivered lectures and organised talks at venues including Queen Margaret’s University, Central Saint Martins, Lost Village Festival, Lighthouse Brighton, Woolwich Print Fair, and Factory International, Manchester. Our advocacy has been recognised in The Sunday Times, Dazed, and It’s Nice That, as well as through appearances on podcasts where we speak on the importance of class inclusivity in the arts.
As a crucial resource for researchers and programmers, we contribute expertise and insight through our annual report, which highlights the experiences of working-class creatives. Our contributions have led to the formation of programmes such as the Supporting Act Foundation’s Creative Grant, New Curators and have informed Think Tank research. Influencing government policy to centre class in arts access reform and "levelling up" agendas is a long-term goal, and we actively support initiatives that push the sector toward this aim.
Additionally, we provide consultancy and programming for curators, researchers, agencies, and institutions, helping them integrate class-focused strategies into their work to build a more equitable creative landscape.
Our annual impact surveys offer valuable insights into the lived realities of working-class creatives, highlighting systemic barriers and community needs. Findings from the 2025 report have already shaped internal programming and informed external partnerships and funder priorities.
With members calling for more targeted conversations on class and disability, sustainable funding, and mental health, WCC continues to push for industry-wide change rooted in real voices and lived experiences.
WHO WE SUPPORT:
The WCCD supports working class creatives based in the UK with a focus on supporting those over 18 and bridging the gap of support between being a young or emerging creative and transitioning into creative education and employment. While our background is in fine arts, we encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and welcome a diverse range of disciplines, including those working in the film or television industry, theatre-makers, dancers and educators.
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO:
Working Class Creatives was founded in 2021 by Seren Metcalfe and Chanelle Windas. We know firsthand how difficult it can be to break into the creative industries without the right connections or support. While attending two of London’s most prestigious art universities, we experienced barriers linked to our class backgrounds—gaps in academic experience, a lack of industry connections, limited career prospects after graduation, and struggles with low confidence and imposter syndrome. Driven by these challenges, we created the Working Class Creatives Database—a platform to bring together creatives facing similar barriers and to provide the resources, encouragement, and community needed to thrive.
Our experiences are echoed by national statistics: only 16% of individuals in creative roles come from working-class backgrounds, with those from middle and upper-middle-class families four times more likely to secure these positions (Policy and Evidence Centre, 2020). Systemic barriers—like limited networking opportunities and financial instability—continue to restrict access and progression within the industry.
Our 2025 Impact Survey revealed that members come from a wide range of smaller towns and rural areas across the UK. Many are compelled to relocate to cities in search of creative opportunities, highlighting the urgent need to expand access beyond urban centres and better support creatives in underserved regions.
Top challenges identified by our members include; Lack of funding or financial support, Limited access to opportunities (e.g., exhibitions, residencies), Lack of visibility for their work, Lack of connections or mentorship, Imposter syndrome and lack of confidence
Our 2023–2024 Members Report further underscores early barriers to access. Many creatives had limited exposure to art in childhood and adolescence, and those who pursued creative paths often lacked role models or supportive networks. Financial pressures and imposter syndrome were recurring themes, particularly during entry into further education. After graduating, members frequently report feeling unsupported—struggling to find job placements, secure funding, or break into industry networks. Many return to their hometowns, where low cultural engagement deepens feelings of isolation and stagnation. This underscores the need for more inclusive, accessible, and community-rooted art spaces across the UK.
Art plays a vital role in society. It offers alternative ways to communicate, reflect personal histories, and build identity, networks, and belonging. We are committed to ensuring working-class creatives have equal access to these opportunities—regardless of financial background. By advocating for greater investment in the arts and supporting youth and regional initiatives, we aim to help shape a more inclusive and equitable creative future.
OUR TEAM
The Working Class Creatives Database is registered as a CIC. The organisation is managed by Co-Directors Seren Metcalfe and Chanelle Windas. We have a voluntary team of members who support Seren and Chanelle with administrative tasks, running events, and evaluating guiding principles which ensures our approach is intersectional. As of June 2024 WCCD have a Board of 8 Advisors.