The Working Class Creatives Database was set up by Seren MetCalf in 2020 to "to facilitate a space that puts working class creatives at the forefront; A space for conversation, connections and sharing of opportunities, skills and knowledge.
This database is about creating a community amongst one another but also promoting work in hope of providing paid opportunities with a larger goal of making the creative bubbles more accessible for working class people."
I first found out about the Database during my initial research for the documentary on Instagram.
I got in contact with Seren to find out about the action she is taking to level the playing field across the class system within creative industries, such as the fashion world.
Seren explained why she set up the Working Class Creatives Database. "it was born out of a need to bring together a community of creatives who would usually be overlooked in the arts."
Seren spoke about the worry her parents felt when both her and twin sister decided to go to art school and pursue art as their careers. For many people from working class background following your passion over more 'sensible' or 'realistic' career paths there can be a lot more to lose than those from the higher classes.
"Its definitely less risky for middle and higher classes to be in the art world and have an art career a lot of the time creative industries don't make as much money as other industries." Seren explains.
She puts this down to the fact that "a lot of the time you are working for free or building up skills or building up experience."
"People who don't have a lot of money cant afford to do that or if they can there's definitely a lot more risk involved."
One of the first steps in fixing the inequality, Seren thinks, is to question who is buying the art, as these are the people in control.
"In order to change the art world we have to question who's buying the art we're making and who owns the gallery the art is in.
How can we make buying and viewing art more accessible to the working class? if we start with this, I think other creative industries will have a higher success rate."
With the Working Class Creatives Database Seren wants to make a difference in the industries and begin to fix the many problems birthed from the inequalities present.
To help you can send this open letter to anyone in power in the industries, if that be university course leaders, gallerists or theatre directors.
To hear more about the working class creatives working in the fashion industry look out for our radio documentary coming January 2021.