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Posted April 16, 2013

How Technical Skills Can Propel Careers in the Arts

Landing a job in the arts can often seem like an impossible feat, but there is a gap in the market for those with the right technical skills. Intrigued...?

Recent years has seen a huge surge in computer generated imagery, and to be blunt, simply getting to grips with the colour wheel and how to effectively wield a paintbrush isn’t enough anymore. These days, postgraduates studying for a degree in the arts need to have at least a basic understanding of the digital technology that underpins the entire industry.

Dramatic Decreases in Art and Design Applications

Although Britain is well renowned for its creative minds, since the rise in tuition fees last September, applications for art and design degrees have fallen dramatically. Leading figures in the art world have been rattled to say the least. A lack of creative talent has been predicted to emerge with students neglecting subjects like dancing in favour of dentistry.
 

Creative degrees have a lot of stigma surrounding them, with critics making students feel as though they are less ‘proper’ and not worth an equal weight compared to more traditional degrees like law and business. But this negativity swarming around art and design degrees doesn’t stand up as it is the creative industries such as fashion and film, gaming and design that are currently among the fastest growing sectors within the British economy.
 

It’s no secret that as a rule salaries for those working within the arts are lower than other more ‘traditional’ professions meaning competition for the higher paid jobs is fierce. The trick to ensuring the best chance of employment after graduating, is expanding the scope of your degree to include technical skills that can be specifically applied to the today’s modern creative arts workplace. If you want to have a competitive edge of your peers, technical skills are the way to go.
 

Desperate Need for Dynamic Artists

Dynamic artists are what the market needs right now. The creative industries are still experiencing steady growth where other sectors are lagging behind. The problem isn’t that there is an overabundance of jobs, the problem is an overabundance of graduates that have a creative education that is too general, and one which is failing to address our digitised economy.
 

If you’re considering a master’s or PhD in the arts don’t shy away from programs that integrate mathematical or scientific aspects into the course. It is knowledge and understanding of these skills that will increase your chance of finding employment.
 

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