Is an art career viable in the 21st century? Here’s how you get in…

It’s a common perception that the creative industry is slowly fizzling out but it’s quite the contrary. The creative industry is actually one of the fastest growing parts of the UK economy. So much so, that in 2017, the value of the sector stood at £101.5bn — which was a significant increase from its £94.8bn valuation back in 2016.

Many believe that undertaking a professional career in a creative field is something that should be avoid but it’s a lot more lucrative than you’d expect. The industry saw 80,000 additional jobs created in 2017 and the figure doesn’t seem to be lagging anytime soon.

There are various sectors of work that make up the creative industry. This includes: advertising and marketing, architecture, crafts, design (product, graphic and fashion), film, television, video, radio and photography, IT, software and computer services, publishing, museums, galleries and libraries, music, performing and visual arts, animation and visual effects, video games and heritage.

These specific jobs do vary massively in terms of what their day-to-day task are, however, they all share the fact that any person within any of these roles must be creative. However, one area (or talent) that can relate to all of these diversified roles is art. The phrase ‘art jobs’ has over 40,500 searches per month on google, a number that has noticeably increased over time highlighting the interest in careers in this creative field. Many will be looking to transform their well-established hobby into actual income but how do you get in?

Channeling your success

Your admiration for the creative sector will be the driving force behind your success. From sketching in your spare time to attending different galleries and exhibitions across the country, If you love what you do, you’ll welcome mass appreciation from others in the same field.

Talent is subjective but there’s no question that you must be talented when it comes to art. When it comes to unleashing your creativity, you need to offer a message in everything that you do. You need to use your talents to tell a story, sell an experience, and be thought provoking while providing some sort of vulnerability in your work. Being able to empower every emotive feeling in your body is what art careers are all about. Its not about always being able to get the perfect shot for your social media but being true to yourself and your talents.

Educating yourself

Your creative persona and talents alone will without a doubt take you places but it’s still heavily important to try your best in your school work. It wouldn’t be just to say that grades aren’t of importance and can open doors. Nevertheless, its key to understand that they don’t completely determine your future.

Those with a creative flair will usually begin their creative interest from a young age and will begin their academic art career by studying it at GCSE in secondary school. Following the grade that they receive, this will determine whether they can then continue the subject as an A-Level, or at college where they will likely complete a Level 3. Students may have to sit a Level 2 at college if they failed their GCSE — however, this will be determined by the course leaders and a strong portfolio could push you straight onto Level 3.

Both A-Level and Level 3 course run for 2 years and can provide you with lots of opportunities. This can include hosting your own exhibitions with your fellow students. Take these opportunities to show case your individual talent to the public. From your framed art or your designs for an iced coffee machine the possibilities are endless in the creative sphere and no project is too crazy! This is also an amazing thing to include on your CV and personal statement when it comes to the next academic step… university!

Its up to you to decide whether university will be beneficial for you as many people have different opinions on this subject. In the last five years, there has been an evident decrease in the number of UCAS applications for Creative Arts and Design. The deadline analysis from January 2019 found that only 215,330 applied, in comparison to the 224,630 that applied the same time last year.

Gaining experience from studying an art-focused degree is certainly beneficial but the type of experience you receive will differ depending on what course you take. If you’re studying a history of art degree, your course will be heavily theory-based with a lot of written work. However, if you’re studying a subject such as fine art, expect this to be more practical with workshop-led lessons and tasks that may contribute to your final grade. Most undergraduate art courses last for three years in the UK — however, if you study abroad, this could be up to four years.

Top 10 universities for Art & Design:

1. Royal College of Art
2. University College London
3. University of the Arts London
4. Goldsmiths, London
5. The Glasgow School of Art
6. Loughborough University
7. University of Oxford
8. University of Brighton
9. Edinburgh College of Arts
10. Lancaster University

University, however, isn’t the only opportunity to increase your art expertise once completing sixth form or college. Many students decide to take the route of an apprenticeship (which can be done after the competition of GCSEs). This is for the artists who know exactly what they want to get into — whether this is costume design, graphics, visual effects, animation, product development or more. The number of apprenticeships available are endless, and the stigma around getting them has finally been removed.

For those considering becoming an art-based apprentice, it’s important to note that you’ll be learning directly from industry experts — which isn’t necessarily what you’d gain at university. You’ll likely be working full time and 100% be earning a wage too. From this experience, you’ll be able to work on real-life projects and familiarise yourself with the working environment of your respected field.

Which route will you decide to take in your art career?

Phoebe Leylanis a copywriter, a content writer and web content optimiser, Ms. Leyland has built a strong foundation in writing as a graduate from the University of East Anglia, with an undergraduate BA hons in History and Politics and MA in Marketing