ALT Quote card with photo of Natasha Khan, Acting Managing Director of Creative Mentor Network: “The UK creative industry is not socioeconomically diverse or inclusive; only 16% of those in the creative industry are from working-class backgrounds despite making up nearly 40% of the UK workforce. There is also a class pay gap of 17% in the industry. Socioeconomic diversity isn’t a protected characteristic in the UK, and as a result, this isn’t talked about enough. For many employers, it’s not a priority, but it’s something that needs to be taken more seriously to ensure opportunities are more accessible and we can continue our work to break the class ceiling in the UK creative industries. Paying the real Living Wage is a key factor to solving this.”