A chronic undersupply of creative and technical skills will have a detrimental “serious impact” on the theatre and live events industry from now until the next ten years.
Figures from Creative and Cultural Skills, the sector skills council, show that between today and 2017, the industry will face a shortage of some 30,000 practitioners.
In part, the shortage is attributable to the economy of the theatre and live performance industries due to grow by 25 per cent until 2017, compared with four per cent for the UK.
The Council has also said the creative industries, which have more students than jobs, is being targeted by “too many wannabes”, stage performers and aspiring directors.
Speaking yesterday, chief executive Tom Bewick said creative but skilled workers who are happy to work out of the spotlight are in luck.
“Right now in the backstage arena for example, [in] live events and theatre, we are staring at a skill shortage of 30,000 people who can work in stage management, in technical theatre and lighting, sound costume, wardrobe and all these sorts of skills,” Mr Bewick told the Times.
Positively for the needs of the industry’s economy, some of the jobs can be taught at graduate level, while for established creatives, “lots of jobs” are available, Mr Bewick said.
Separately, recruitment firm Aquent has reportedly warned of demand for traditional skills pertinent to the design industry, such as packaging design and copywriting.
The firm’s latest survey also highlights very strong demand for so-called hybrid workers – those who possess traditional skills and new media knowledge.
Meanwhile figures from Creative and Cultural Skills show that fewer than half of the people working in the creative and cultural industries have a degree level qualification.
Jan 18, 2008
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