Creative Careers Unlocked: New Guide Empowers Students to Pursue Careers in the Arts

An Yorkshire author and creative-careers specialist is hoping to make creative careers more visible and achievable for young people from all backgrounds with the publication of her first practical guide. Creative Careers Unlocked, written by creative industries specialist Emily Maguire and published by Trotman, will be released on the 6th of November 2026. Designed for careers advisers and educators, the book provides practical tools, industry insights and strategies for embedding creative pathways into the curriculum. Drawing on real-world case studies, it explores the breadth of roles across the UK’s creative economy and offers accessible guidance on the skills, routes and opportunities available. It also makes visible the many pathways into the creative industries for parents and young people exploring creative careers. Emily said: “As the saying goes, ‘You cannot be what you cannot see.’ Born in Dewsbury and from a working-class background, I stumbled into the arts by chance over 20 years ago, I had hoped things would now be more equitable. Yet structural barriers still dictate who gets in and who does not. “I wrote Creative Careers Unlocked to help make creative careers more visible, understandable and achievable for young people from all backgrounds.” Ruth Hogarth, editor of Arts Professional, said: “An invaluable, comprehensive resource for anyone entertaining a career in the creative industries.” Key topics include: • Creative roles across all sectors, including roles in non-creative organisations. • AI, automation and the changing skills landscape. • Practical approaches to inclusion and widening participation. • Case studies, interviews, templates and ready-to-use classroom activities. • A step-by-step approach to meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks and embedding creative careers in the curriculum. Book details Creative Careers Unlocked by Emily Maguire is published by Trotman in paperback on the 6th of November 2026 and will be available from major booksellers and online retailers. https://trotman.co.uk/products/creative-careers-unlocked About Emily Maguire Emily Maguire, PGDip, RCDP, is a Level 7-qualified career development consultant with more than 20 years’ experience across the creative and entertainment industries. She is also a regional representative for the Career Development Institute in Yorkshire and the Humber. Media enquiries Emily Maguire 07412 833382 emily@reflectionscareercoaching.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymaguire/