Vicky McClure and Nihal Arthanayake join creative industries leaders to back Discover Creative Careers, as programme announces badges for those inspiring next generation

Industry ambassadors including Penguin Random House, BAFTA, Crafts Council, and Into Games back new creative careers badge being issued to those advocating for widened access to creative careers and creative careers education for young people ahead of Discover Creative Careers Month in November.

Today, 9 September 2026, over 130 organisations and individuals have pledged their support for Discover Creative Careers – a DCMS-funded programme designed to break down barriers to progression in the UK’s creative industries.

As pupils across the country return to the classroom, creative leaders have joined the call for greater education on creative careers, and the creation of new opportunities and pathways for young people from all backgrounds.

Award-winning actor Vicky McClure MBE and acclaimed broadcaster, presenter, musician and author, Nihal Arthanayake are among the newly announced Discover Creative Careers Ambassadors using their voices to help open up pathways into creative careers for young people from under-represented backgrounds. They are joined by organisations including V&A, Penguin Random House, Scottish Youth Theatre, Gaming For All, Weber Shandwick, BBC and Hachette.

The programme is also supported by industry and outreach partners who have committed to using their profiles to connect creative organisations and freelancers with Discover Creative Careers. Industry partners include Creative Edinburgh, Arts Council Northern Ireland and ATG Entertainment. Outreach Partners include the National Saturday Club, ERIC, and the Premier League, with more to be confirmed.

Ambassadors and partners will support the mission of Discover Creative Careers to demystify career pathways and inspire the next generation of creative talent as the programme prepares for a refreshed Discover Creative Careers Month in November – a major UK-wide initiative taking place every year. Designed to showcase the wide variety of exciting jobs in the creative sector to 11-24 year-olds, this year’s activities are spread across the regions with the aim of amplifying opportunities across the nation.

With many more events yet to be confirmed, some examples of the upcoming activity are detailed below:

A film industry careers event for year nine students on 6 November in North Yorkshire at The Station, Richmond
A creative careers festival for 11-16 year-olds at Bristol Beacon on 9 November
Careers event organised by Create Wakefield, Music Local and West Yorkshire Combined Authority in West Yorkshire on 25 November
Futures For All Remote Insight Days and Broadcast Talks with organisations and individuals including British Vogue (11 November) Shakespeare North Playhouse (12 November), Into Film (13 November), and Print ReImagined (4 November).
A series of Futures For All in-person talks with speakers including Jasmine Dotiwala, Broadcaster, Producer, Director and Columnist (4 November, London); Liz Evans, Managing Director, George (6 November, Yorkshire & Humber); and George Parker, Political Editor at the Financial Times (20 November, Southwest)
Creative Access Creative SWAP, delivered with Westminster Jobcentre Plus, supporting 17 jobseekers through employability training and creative industry placements running throughout November.
A Traineeships spotlight, helping young people discover paid routes into creative careers while demystifying traineeships for employers and encouraging more creative organisations – particularly smaller, independent employers outside London – to create starter opportunities.
A special Discover Month series of Creative Access ‘Discover With’ webinars, connecting young people aged 16+ directly with creative professionals to explore different sectors, roles, skills and routes into the industry.
Bookable creative careers and employability sessions for schools, colleges and youth groups, helping young people explore creative roles and build practical skills for applications, networking and interviews.

Further activity will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

For the first time, the work of ambassadors for the programme is being recognised with a formal accreditation: a badge spotlighting ambassadors’ efforts. There are two badges that can be issued: Champion badges and Leader badges.

The Champion badge recognises organisations or people who work with young people on the ground, as part of Discover Creative Careers, to open up pathways, share knowledge and inspire the next generation. Organisations already accredited with the Champion badge include BAFTA, THE HOUSE OF RADHA, and Shakespeare Playhouse North.

The Leader badge celebrates organisations or people who make strategic impact at local or national levels to improve policy, local infrastructure or opportunities for young people. The National Saturday Club, Premier League, Northern Ireland Arts Council and Creative Edinburgh are the first organisations to have been accredited with the Leader badge.

Creative Careers is delivered by the Creative Careers Collective – a national consortium comprising Futures For All (lead partner), Creative UK and Creative Access.

Ian Murray, Minister of State from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), said:

“The UK’s creative industries are one of our greatest strengths, generating billions for our economy and telling our stories to the world. But for these sectors to thrive, we need bright young talent from all backgrounds to be breaking into them. That’s exactly what Discover Creative Careers is trying to achieve, and seeing organisations, ambassadors and industry leaders getting behind it is fantastic.”

Speaking about the programme, Nihal Arthanayake said:

“Being a creative doesn’t just mean being an actor, a singer or a director, there are a vast array of careers that will harness, uplift and expand your creativity in ways that you cannot even imagine now. I started off as a rapper, then worked in PR, went on to become...

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