UK art workers, class, and the myth of mobility

Banks, M. and Oakley, K. (2015) UK art workers, class, and the myth of mobility. In: Maxwell, R. (ed.) The Routledge Companion to Labor and Media. Series: Routledge companions. Routledge: New York, pp. 170-179. ISBN 9780415837446 (doi: 10.4324/9780203404119-14)

Abstract

At the time of writing this chapter—the early months of 2014—sections of the British media, particularly the broadsheet press, became concerned about the disappearance of a particular species. Not in the natural world this time, but in the cultural one. The working class artist (for which read singer, musician, actor, fashion designers, and so on) was said to have disappeared, replaced by a tide of privately educated (or in Britain, “public school educated”) youngsters, from actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Damien Lewis to pop stars such as Coldplay’s Chris Martin or Florence Welch, and even stand-up comedians.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Banks, Professor Mark and Oakley, Professor Kate
• Authors: Banks, M., and Oakley, K.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts; College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
• Publisher: Routledge
• ISBN: 9780415837446
• Published Online: 16 July 2015