By George Lythgoe

Is Manchester becoming too posh? That's the question a new inquiry is essentially going to be looking into.

The former chief prosecutor for the North West, Nazir Afzal OBE, is to lead an inquiry to improve working class representation in the creative industries across Greater Manchester.

This is believed to be the first attempt to address a decline in working class representation in the creative industries.

Manchester is sometimes referred to as the 'birthplace of the working class' because it was the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution.

The city has produced huge music stars from working class backgrounds such as the Gallagher brothers from Oasis and The Smiths line up of Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce. The region has also brought big names such as Salfordians John Cooper Clarke and Christopher Ecclestone or Oldham's Suranne Jones to our screens.

This inquiry will look directly into how the region can continue to produce such talent.

Mr Afzal will be working with Avis Gilmore, former deputy general secretary of one of Europe's biggest trade unions, to deliver a blueprint for change. They will be supported by social research consultancy RISE, who will be carrying out extensive engagement with artists and creatives across the region. 

Mr Afzal said: "There is a wealth of research showing that working class representation in UK creative industries is at its lowest level in decades and many leading artists have warned that the class ceiling is holding back innovation and creativity. 

"Given that around half of the UK identify as working class, that is a huge amount of talent being shut out. For a city like Manchester, whose culture has largely been shaped by the working class, this poses an existential threat.

"But Manchester is really good at rising to a challenge and in the coming months we will be looking to better understand the barriers to participation and talking to key partners to identify local solutions that can smash the class ceiling and level the playing field."

As chair of the Lowry, chancellor of the University of Manchester and a board director of The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, Mr Afzal will be seeking to bring together many of the leading cultural stakeholders in the region to identify interventions to break what he calls the 'class ceiling'. A symposium will be held on January 26 next year to determine solutions. 

The project has been backed by a number of partners, including the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Co-Op.

Paul Gerrard, director of campaigns, public affairs and policy at the Co-op said: "The Co-op is delighted to support this important new project to allow everyone, whatever their background, to access opportunities in the arts and creative sector throughout Greater Manchester. Unlocking and unleashing the hidden talent and creativity across the region will enrich the lives of everyone living in communities throughout our region."

Avis Gilmore added: "Over the last 20-years we've seen the infrastructure that supported an explosion of working-class talent in Manchester wither away. You have to ask the question, could there be another Liam Gallagher or Caroline Aherne today?"

Manchester is recognised as one of the most creative cities in Europe with a creative, digital and technology community that is home to over 10,000 businesses including the BBC, Brown Bag Films, Aviva Studios and Co-op Live.

Anyone wanting to have their say on this and be included in focus groups, meetings and an online survey, can accessed this at https://bigconversation.co.uk/class-ceiling/.

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