Every year we see more females choosing creative arts subjects, but a smaller number of females go into creative jobs after graduation. What is the reason behind this? Why have we not started to see a more equivalent proportion of women to men in creative fields? Why do women hesitate to become painters, musicians, illustrators, film directors, and architects? Be that as it may, the doors of the creative world seems to give warm welcomes for men and cold shoulders for women and other minority groups .There are so many supremely great female artists and creators, many intriguing and innovative ones who remain deficiently represented or appreciated. History seems to paint a picture of very little female representation in art galleries, very little female representation throughout art history, there are no female competitors of Picasso or Matisse, the famous painters. No matter, how much we might wish there had been.

In a world, where the creative art industry seems more appealing to females, a higher number of males go on to work in the creative industry.This has been a trend from 2012-2016 that we are unable to follow in the years after due to a lack of information available. Here is some data on the total number of male and female graduates and the total percentage of males and females working in creative industries from the years we do have data from. Take a look:

There are so many questions that follow this... Does this follow onto the years after? Has the number increased or decreased? Judging by my time on set and working on projects it seems there still may be a deficit. So if women are interested in studying creative arts then why is there less numbers of women working in the creative industry?

Is it that many creative industries have less interest in women artists or creators than men?

The UK does seem to lead the charge in representing women globally in creative industries but still have low numbers comparably. London creative economy is made up of 37.1% of occupations in

the creative industry filled by women contrasted with 46.9% in the UK as a whole.These numbers aren’t horrible compared to the rest of the world but they aren’t great either...

1. There's an absence of female representation in the Modern Art sections of galleries.

To ace at something, people always need a little support or they need examples of the people before them. Same as it is in pursuing a profession, you need role models to follow their track and achieve the desired goals SAME ASTHEY DID. Studies support two pieces of information that support this:

88% of women feel they aren’t seeing the representation in particular job roles such as Creative Directors, gaffers, lighting and sound techs .
Less than 5% of the artists in the Modern art section are women.

2. Negative experiences

Without adequate help or planning, female creatives can face battles when pushed into male-orientated projects:

Masculinised working styles, lack of representation of all minorities, and devaluing of female opinions on set and in workspaces were routinely experienced by women in their placements. These experiences can lead females to decide that creative industries are not for them before they even start their careers.

3. Lack of skills and confidence in their ability to be self-employed

Some women do struggle with confidence in their ability to lead projects, this is a necessary skill for working in the creative industry. It may be because of the lack of female role models or just a long history in doubting the opinions and value of women. But we do know that the numbers are being effected, about twice as many men are self-employed as compared to women in the UK.

We know there are deficits these are undeniable facts but what are we to do now? We must continue to boost minority communities and try to set the balance right. Provide opportunities and resources to people who need our support and guidance. Choosing exhibitors for that next show carefully and thoughtfully, allowing for inclusivity when selecting people for job roles and ultimately keeping these issues at the forefront of everything we do within the creative community.