LAWYER URGES CULTURAL SECTOR TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL CREATIVES SEEKING MOVES TO UK AND BOOST FILM & TV SECTOR GROWTH

Purpose-driven law-firm Bates Wells calls for the UK creative sector to use legal avenues to champion a diverse and inclusive workforce.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, March 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ --
• Purpose-driven law-firm Bates Wells calls for the UK creative sector to use legal avenues to champion a diverse and inclusive workforce.
• Leading creatives, like the recent Oscar and BAFTA winners and nominees, are eligible for the UK’s Global Talent Visa for Exceptional Talent.
• The fast-growing UK creative sector will benefit from welcoming these exceptional artists, supporting wider economic growth.

While immigration remains a hot topic in the UK, Bates Wells, the purpose driven London law firm, is calling for the creative sector to lead in championing initiatives that increase the film and TV industry’s diversity.

The UK’s film and television industry brings in more than £18 billion to the UK economy and supports almost 300,000 jobs. It is a fast-growing sector, benefiting from both private and public investment. The first step of the upcoming Government's Sector Plan for the creative industries, announced earlier this year, was a £60 million boost in funding to help accelerate growth for creative businesses and projects across the UK.

Alongside increases in government funding, the UK receives billions of pounds of investment from US companies including Netflix and Amazon.

Chetal Patel, Head of Immigration at Bates Wells said:

“Just as the history of the entertainment industry in Hollywood significantly impacted life in Los Angeles and around the world, the British film industry has done the same within the UK.

“The UK stands to gain from being joined by emerging and established international talent – it is an opportunity to rival other world-leading hubs of film and television. The sector should welcome exceptional artists, whose presence can contribute a major boost to the economy by supporting wider industry growth, increasing feature film and high-end television going into production into the UK, with the jobs and revenue that entails.

“Diversity in all forms – racial, cultural, age, socioeconomic and perspective – strengthens the UK’s cultural sector. From social mobility to ethnicity, having a diverse pool of talent, representing the current multicultural makeup of the UK, enriches storytelling when increasingly divisive societies need it most.”

There are many ways for the cultural sector to stand up as a leader in welcoming talent from around the world, including championing schemes like the Global Talent Visa for “talented individuals”, who have “a substantial track record” and who “receive an endorsement of [their] talent from an ‘endorsing body’.” For example, the letters of recommendations needed for Global Talent applications must provide specific details not only about how the individual would benefit from living and working in the UK as an artist cultural practitioner, but also the contribution they could make to cultural life here too.

Patel added:

“Living in the UK offers a multitude of unique opportunities for artists, both culturally and in work. Being more involved in UK-based projects and having proximity to UK-based film makers and creators helps increase collaboration and creates work opportunities. Moving to the UK offers artists the opportunity to further their careers, including the option to go freelance and/or set up their own business which is an attractive option for those in the sector. The Global Talent route also leads to accelerated settlement after three years for the main applicant.

“I’ve seen how it’s not always a career-motivated decision either. I acted for a well-known US TV director who wanted to have the flexibility to work in the UK without restrictions and her desire to move to the UK was accelerated by Trump’s election win.

“For those considering an international move this award season, now is an ideal time to explore the UK’s Global Talent route. For creatives looking to make their mark on a global stage, the UK offers an unmatched combination of opportunity, infrastructure, cultural vibrancy and career progression.”

The film and television awards season has been celebrating brilliant creatives at the BAFTAs (16 February) the Oscars (2 March) and beyond over the past several weeks. The industry recognition and prestige for nominees is incomparable. In addition to the recognition, nominated artists can consider avenues to work and move abroad via specialist visa routes for exceptional creatives, including the UK’s Global Talent Visa for Exceptional Talent.

Having been nominated for a ‘main’ award in the past ten years – or having made a significant contribution to winning – is a way for artists, who might want to move internationally, to advance their careers or experience new cultures, to satisfy Arts Council England and PACT—the ‘endorsing body’—that an applicant is “recognised as a leader” and secure their endorsement.

Media Team
Bates Wells
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