The Conservative Government’s suggestion that people working in the arts should retrain for a new job, and the now-infamous poster urging Fatima to swap her ballet shoes for a career in cyber, have reignited debates about the importance of creativity and the creative industries.

Here are ten reasons we should never underestimate the power of creatives...

1.Creatives make our days better

According to Channel 4, dancers at the Royal Ballet will have spent over 10 years of training for 7-8 hours a day before joining the company. Obviously, this is an extreme example, but the fact remains that getting a job in the creative industries requires talent, commitment, and often involves years of formal training. To suggest that anybody should abandon a lifetime of hard work and simply ‘retrain’ is, frankly, completely insulting.

2.Creatives express the feelings we all experience

Felt lonely, frustrated or anxious lately? Same. Creatives express these emotions in innovative ways, allowing us to recognize and work through our own feelings.

3.Creatives are highly trained

According to Channel 4, dancers at the Royal Ballet will have spent over 10 years training for 7-8 hours a day before joining the company (https://www.channel4.com/news/how-hard-is-the-life-of-a-professional-ballet-dancer). Obviously, this is an extreme example, but the fact remains that getting a job in the creative industries requires talent, commitment and often involves years of formal training. To suggest that anybody should abandon a lifetime of hard work and simply ‘retrain’ is, frankly, completely insulting.

4.Creatives help to connect us

I always watch period dramas with my mum, and my whole family gathers around on a Saturday night to watch Strictly Come Dancing. It brings us together. In a world of social distancing, what could be more important than that?

5.Creatives represent the world around us

Creatives can give us glimpses into the lives of people we would never have crossed paths with, expose us to cultures we would never encounter, and encourage us to consider new ideas and viewpoints.

6.Creatives help us learn

From Horrible Histories to David Attenborough, creatives can provide fun and absorbing ways to learn about the world around us.

7.Creativity is human nature

Since the days of cave paintings and telling stories around the fire, humans have been driven to create. That’s just a fact of history.

8.Creatives fuel our economy

Tourists visiting theatres contributed £2.7 billion to the UK economy in 2013 according to research by VisitBritain (https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/tourists-love-uk-theatre-201589/). Creatives bring people and money to the UK, boosting the economy.

9.Creatives make us feel less alone

There’s something so comforting about seeing a character dealing with the same situation you are. It’s a reminder that whatever you’re going through, you’re never the only person facing that problem.

10.Creatives allow us to make light of tough situations

Sometimes you have to either laugh or cry. In what seems like the most depressing year ever, creatives such as comedians and writers have given us reasons to laugh.

Creatives have the power to bring us together regardless of physical distance, to educate us, to brighten our days, and to help us make sense of the chaos around us. Creative careers are not just “viable”, they are vital.

Edited by Victoria Sales