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Career Paths
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Take a Ride on the Wild Side
Careers in the Arts
Creativity is a very personal trait. For many of us, it is as simple as having an active imagination. It may mean finding joy in drawing, painting, writing or playing music. For some, the creative spirit manifests itself through a love of performing - using your body or voice to express your creativity. And for others, it shines through an interest in using high tech tools for multi-media creations.
While everyone has the capacity for creativity and will use it throughout their lives to some degree, some people will find creativity is one of their top interest areas. For these artistic souls, a career that allows an outlet for expressing their creativity will ultimately be a rewarding and fulfilling choice - and one that presents a virtual kaleidoscope of career options.
Arts and Culture Career Paths
Typically, careers in the arts in Canada are referred to as careers in the "cultural sector", which is broken down into the six areas listed below. The vast majority of people who work in the cultural sector (approximately 65,000 people) have been able to carve out a career with a combination of full-time, part-time, freelance or contract work, using a variety of talents and skills. They may be creative artists, performers, historians, museum curators or producers of new media, but they all take satisfaction in their contribution to creating and documenting Canadian culture.
- Film, Television, Radio and Live Performing Arts
Most people who work in this area have a passion for performance, be it on stage, in front of a camera or working behind the scenes. They are creative, curious and energetic people, and often enjoy working in teams. In addition to actors, musicians and announcers, other employment areas in the field include composers, choreographers, film editors, dancers, audio and video technicians and lighting and set designers. This has been an area of employment growth in BC over the past decade, and the trend is expected to continue.
- Heritage
People who work in heritage have an interest in history. They preserve and promote Canada's unique identity and its various regions and people. They like learning about different traditions and languages, as well as collecting and studying artifacts, and they are comfortable working alone when conducting research. They often work in museums or national, provincial or municipal archives, as well as for private, non-profit or religious institutions, in tourism or in conjunction with post-secondary programs. Some job titles include: tour guide, collection manager, historian, heritage researcher and art gallery director.
- Visual Arts and Crafts
Working in arts and crafts is both creative expression and a way to make a living for many people. In addition to the artisans who work in traditional crafts such as pottery or painting, this area provides many retail jobs in craft and art supply stores and in specialty shops. This employment area also includes graphic designers both in print and electronic media. Good business skills are obviously helpful for anyone working in this sector, and the ability to take charge of a creative vision to create a finished product either alone or as part of a team is a common characteristic for people in this field.
- Writing and Publishing
The number of people in Canada who make a full-time living writing books is very small, but many writers earn an income by writing for a variety of publications, such as newspapers and magazines, on a freelance basis. Others work full time in newspapers or on industry publications, in advertising or public relations. Currently, there is a demand for technical writers - those who can convert the language and operation of computer software technology into understandable user's manuals. Writing for the Internet is another growing field, although a great deal of copy is re-published on the web after it appears in other sources. This employment area also includes editors and copy editors, researchers, art directors, photographers and people who work in marketing, advertising sales and distribution for books and periodicals.
- Music and Sound Recording
For the most part, people who work in this field develop an aptitude for music from a young age. However, it is not necessary to be a musical virtuoso to have a career in music. In addition to performers and writers, many people with a technical background work in sound recording as engineers or technicians, and are employed by radio stations, TV, film studios, sound studios and theatres. This area also encompasses teachers, people who work in promotion or as artists' agents or managers, as well as in instrument repair and music retail. Sound engineers also play a key role in the construction of computer games, and record companies employ a large number of people to scout, record and promote artists. There are also employment opportunities in the administration of music organizations such as musician's associations or professional orchestras.
- New Media
The versatility of computer technology makes new media a cultural career area that touches on almost every other area of the sector. Graphic designers, writers, video and sound technicians, art directors, publishers, announcers, educators and retail and marketing experts can all find a niche working in the new media field. This is also a particularly attractive area for entrepreneurs. One of the most exciting aspects of new media is that there are few boundaries on where it can go. Almost anyone with an interest in the field and a creative spirit has the chance to develop the next big thing in information, film or sound technology that will capture the imagination of the public in the 21st century.
Getting an Arts Education
The education process for a career in the arts is as varied as the different types of careers mentioned here. Many popular musicians have no formal training, while others may hold graduate degrees. Most actors and performers go through extensive training in private classes or through selection to professional companies. And while writers often gain the most experience simply by sitting down and writing, most journalists also hold degrees or diplomas related to the field. For technical careers in the arts it's usually necessary to obtain a diploma from a technical college. If you wish to work in museum management or as a curator, you will most likely need a combination of a degree in a related field (e.g. art history or anthropology) and experience.
For most arts-related careers, the education process is continuous, and for many people this is one of the attractive things about working in this field. By its very nature, there are no limits on creativity, and therefore no limits on the learning process of mastering a creative craft.
The Challenges - And the Rewards
Those who choose a career path in arts and culture often face many challenges along the way. From dealing with rejection to making ends meet on a small income, many talented souls find themselves struggling for their craft. But this is nothing new - in Shakespearean times, actors were considered second-class citizens and even banned from entering certain English towns. Yet thousands of people, then and now, are willing to accept these challenges, because for many of them, there is no choice. Working as an artist or in the artistic or cultural field is a calling more than a job, and they would never be happy doing anything else. Above all, they believe in themselves, and this enables them to create a career they love.
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