Report finds women in UK arts see unequal opportunities, worsening with age

A new report has found that women working in the UK arts industry believe they lack equal opportunities compared with men, with the situation growing worse as they age. Based on a survey of 76 arts professionals, 95% of women said gender inequality remains a persistent issue, while 75% reported personally experiencing unconscious bias or sexism in their careers.

Age as a barrier

About 69% of respondents said age had a negative effect on their career success, a figure that climbed to 100% among those working in artistic, rather than managerial, roles. Several actors described casting opportunities dropping off sharply after certain ages, noting that male colleagues are offered far more roles, with even fewer available to actresses over 50. Participants also criticised the industry's fixation on describing talent as "young and emerging," saying there was little recognition for experienced or seasoned artists.

Concerns over AI in hiring

The report warned that the growing use of artificial intelligence in recruitment risks worsening both gender and age discrimination, since such systems can penalise women for career breaks taken for caregiving responsibilities and may reinforce existing historical biases.

Actor Maureen Beattie, known for Casualty and her work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, said age discrimination has long been a known issue for women in entertainment and called for more substantial roles to be created for older actresses.

Dr Jennifer Tuckett of Women in the Arts, who authored the report, said further urgent research was needed into how AI could disadvantage older women during recruitment. The project, funded by Arts Council England and carried out with several partner organisations, will be presented to ministers in October as part of an effort to establish a parliamentary group focused on women in the arts.