Careers in the Arts
Finding one's way around within art can be like searching in a minefield. Locating one specific source of careers information is almost impossible. Courses & Careers asked the Arts Council of England to provide a list of useful contacts to help students tackle the arts maze.
General Information on careers
Local education authorities in England and Wales are responsible for the Careers Service. If you need general advice about careers and training, contact your local education authority for details or check reference books available in your local public library, such as the Education Year Book which includes details on training and careers (published by Pitman Publishing, annually).
Organisations
The Careers Group,
University of London
32 Russell Square,
London WC1B 5DN
www.careers.lon.ac.uk
Workers' Educational Association (WEA),
Quick House,
65 Clifton Street,
London,
EC2A 4JE
Tel: 020 7426 3450
Fax: 020 7426 3451
Web: www.wea.org.uk/
Arts administration / management
Arts administration covers areas such as accountancy, fund-raising, publicity, exhibition organising, and management of people, buildings and financial resources. If you are interested in a career in arts administration in a particular artform you should also check the relevant artform section, as those reference books usually include a section on careers as managers in that artform. It may also be useful to check general arts reference books, as they often have sections on courses in arts administration/management e.g. British Music Yearbook, Music Education Yearbook, British Performing Arts Yearbook, all published by Rhinegold, annually, and Performing Arts Yearbook for Europe, published by Arts Publishing International, annually.
Career as a Public Relations Officer
Marketing
Careers in arts marketing can include working in publicity, and press and public relations departments. Arts marketing is often covered in training courses for arts administration, so check books and organisations listed in the Arts administration/management section as well as sections for any specific artforms that are of interest. The selection of books below does not consist entirely of books specifically on careers in arts marketing. Mostly they are books on marketing in general, which will be of interest to those looking for a career in arts marketing.
Arts Marketing Association (AMA),
7a Clifton Court,
Clifton Road,
Cambridge
CB1 7BN
Tel: 01223 578078
Fax: 01223 245862
Email: info@a-m-a.co.uk
Web:
www.a-m-a.co.uk/
Marketing Career
Media
Careers in media can be in audio-visual media (e.g. broadcasting), and printed media (e.g. journalism). If you are interested in a career in the media in general, then see the General section. Sections follow on Film, video and broadcasting and Printed media. See also specific artform sections on careers in media in those artforms.
Journalist Career
Film, video and broadcasting:
Skillset,
Prospect House,
80-110 New Oxford Street,
London
WC1A 1HB.
Tel: 020 7520 5757
www.skillset.org/
Career as a TV Film Camera Operator
Printed Media:
Bookhouse Training Centre,
45 East Hill,
Wandsworth,
London
SW18 2QZ
Tel: 0208 874 2718
Fax: 0208 874 4790
Web: www.train4publishing.co.uk/
Email:
publishing.training@bookhouse.co.uk
Newspaper Society,
St. Andrew's House
18-20 St. Andrew Street
London
EC4A 3AY
Tel: 020 7632 7400
Fax: 020 7632 7401
Email: ns@newspapersoc.org.uk
Web: www.newspapersoc.org.uk/
Periodicals Publishers Association
Queens House
28 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6JR
Switchboard: 020 7404 4166
Fax: 020 7404 4167
Web: www.ppa.co.uk/
Career in Publishing
Museums and galleries
This section is for those interested in working in a museum or gallery. For careers as a visual arts practitioner, see the relevant Visual arts section.
Museums Association
24 Calvin Street,
London
E1 6NW
www.museumsassociation.org/
Be a Museum Keeper
Performing Arts
The performing arts covered here are listed under Dance, Drama, Music, and Live art, mime and puppetry. If you are interested in a career in the performing arts, but are unsure about which artform, check the performing arts general section and the Careers in the arts in general section. If a specific artform is of interest, check that section as well.
Arts and Entertainment Technical Training Initiative,
261 Baker Street,
Derby
DE24 8SG
Phone: 01332 751740
Email: admin@aetti.org.uk
Web: www.aetti.org.uk
International Federation of Actors FIA
Guild House,
Upper St Martin's Lane,
London
WC2H 9EG
Tel: +44 20 7379 0900
Fax: +44 20 7379 8260
Web:
www.fia-actors.com/
Acting Career
Dance
See also the Performing arts general section, and the Careers in the arts in general section.
Council for Dance and Education Training CDET,
Old Brewer's Yard,
17-19 Neal Street
Covent Garden
London WC2H 9UY
Tel: 0207 240 5703
Fax: 020 7240 2547
Email: info@cdet.org.uk
Web:
www.cdet.org.uk/
Foundation for Community Dance,
LCB Depot
31 Rutland Street
Leicester
LE1 1RE
Tel:
+44 (0)116 253 3453
Fax:
+44 (0)116 261 6801
Email:
info@communitydance.org.uk
Web:
www.communitydance.org.uk/
Drama
See also the Performing arts general section, the Careers in the arts in general section and the Film, video and broadcasting section.
Actors' Centre,
1A Tower Street,
London
WC2H 9NP
Tel: 0207 240 3940
Fax:0207 240 3896
Web: www.actorscentre.co.uk/
Conference of Drama Schools (CDS),
The Executive Secretary
CDS Ltd
P O Box 34252
London NW5 1XJ
Emai: info@cds.drama.ac.uk
Web: http://www.drama.ac.uk/
National Council for Drama Training (NCDT),
1-7 Woburn Walk,
London,
WC1H 0JJ
Tel: 020 7387 3650
Fax: 020 7387 3860
Email: info@ncdt.co.uk
Web: www.ncdt.co.uk/
Live art, mime and puppetry
See also the Performing arts general section, and the Careers in the arts in general section.
Music
See also the Performing arts general section, and the Careers in the arts in general section.
Incorporated Society of Musicians,
10 Stratford Place,
London W1C 1AA
Tel: 020 7629 4413
Fax: 020 7408 1538
Email. membership@ism.org
Web. www.ism.org
Musicians Union,
1a Fentiman Road
London SW8 1LD
Tel: 020 7840 5504
Fax: 020 7840 5599
Email: london@musiciansunion.org.uk
Web: www.musiciansunion.org.uk/
Visual arts
This section is for those people interested in a career as a visual arts practitioner. If you want to work in a gallery or museum, see the Museums and galleries section. A General section, which includes painting and sculpture, is followed by sections on Architecture, Crafts, Design and fashion, and Photography.
General, including painting and sculpture
National Association of Fine Art Education: www2.ntu.ac.uk/ntsad/nafae/
National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD),
The Gatehouse,
Corsham Court,
Corsham,
Wilts
SN13 0BZ
Tel: 01249 714825
Fax: 01249 716138
Web: www.nsead.org/
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS): www.ucas.com/
Architecture
See also the Visual arts general section.
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
66 Portland Place,
London
W1N 4AD
Tel: 0207 580 5533
Fax: 0171 255 1541
Web: www.riba.org/
Be an Architect
Crafts
See also the Visual arts general section.
Crafts Council,
44a Pentonville Road,
Islington,
London
N1 9BY
Tel: 0207 278 7700
Fax: 0171 837 6891
Web:
www.craftscouncil.org.uk/
Design and Fashion
See also the Visual arts general section.
Arts Council of England: www.artscouncil.org.uk
Arts Council of Wales: www.artswales.org
The Scottish Arts Council: www.scottisharts.org.uk
Career as:
Fashion Designer
Graphic Designer
Product Designer
Interior Designer
Textile Designer
Photography
See also the Visual arts general section.
Skillset: www.skillset.org/careers/
Royal Photographic Society: www.rps.org
Association of Photographers: www.the-aop.org
