How to research arts careers

Get Googling and researching and you'll be on you way to an arts career in no time. 

How to research arts careers

Unit 1 Part D of the Silver Arts Award asks us to look forward, into the not-so-distant future we tend to call an “arts career.” To ensure you’re fully prepared, why not start researching different pathways into the arts right away? 

1. The big ‘G’ 👊

Google will be your best friend and worst enemy. At best, you’ll find invaluable resources and websites with hints, tips and practical advice. At worst, it’ll be like trawling through endless dead-ends in an attempt to find an opening. Make sure you keep focussed, and you'll have stacks of research in no time.

Check out our “Want My Job?” Voicebox for interviews with a plethora of artists: museum directors, dancers, theatre producers and everything in between. 

2. Think outside the box 🙋

Now you’ve exhausted Google search and perhaps even reached the giddy heights of page three (!), it’s time to put your new-found research into action. 

Did you find any routes into the arts which surprised you? Were there any careers which intrigued you, or some you’d never even knew existed? Do you want to learn more about any particular artists?

If you’ve answered ‘yes’, now’s your chance. Local artists nearby might be happy to chat about how they got started in the arts world. It may be the case that they never expected to end up in their role when leaving education, or maybe they planned this all along! 

3. Into the future 🚀

Perhaps you’ve been inspired by these careers, so start thinking: education. Different opportunities. Alternative pathways. If there are any specific colleges, universities or courses necessary to a career then note ‘em down. Maybe the traditional route into a career involves university, but if you’ve found examples of artists who have taken an unconventional route - even better! Sourcing and quoting a variety of examples will boost your Arts Award no end. 

4. Has this changed your mind? 💭

Now it’s time to take a step back, leave your notes to one side and ask yourself: how has this research impacted me? It could be that you didn’t discover new careers, but investigated one art form in-depth. What did you learn that you didn’t know beforehand? Or perhaps you explored several careers, some of which you had never heard of before. Was there a role that captured your interest and invited you to research how you may follow a route into a similar career.

Whatever your musings - catch them and write them down. 

5. Check out our how-to guides for more tips 📱

If you’re networking or interviewing, you may want to check out how to network as a young artist who hates networking, and how to interview an artist

Good luck, and happy researching!


For more advice and inspiration, head over to our Silver Hub

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