Arts Recruitment Agencies Directory

Employment in the Arts encompasses a wide range of diverse positions. Jobs can range from independent freelance work to museum curation to creative roles in large multinational corporations. Professional artists will generally need to be visually oriented, passionate, and practical: able to balance the often-conflicting requirements of creativity and productivity.

Qualifications and salaries

Because jobs in the field are limited and in high demand, competition in the art industry often poses an extreme challenge for job seekers. For this reason, bachelors and advanced degrees from art institutes or technical universities are a necessity for most candidates.

Despite the high-level of competition, however, the sector is not high paying. Salaries range from about £15,000 - 45,000, with most earning somewhere around £25,000 annually. But art is a very satisfying profession for many, and the benefits of creative employment often compensate for the relatively low pay.

Job locations

In most positions, working hours are normal, although deadlines can sometimes force long overtime.

The vast majority of job opportunities are London-based, and a large percentage of positions are in the events industry. Sponsorship and development is another field that employs significant numbers of artists. Outside of London, the regions with the highest average salaries are the North East and Northern Ireland.

You can learn more by visiting the Arts Council's website.