Following on from the brilliant historian Professor Carl Chinn, I wanted to paint a layered picture of what it means to be working class, and the challenges we face in the arts in 2024. It is not a new phenomenon, but it is a problem that has been exacerbated over the 14 years from 2010-2024 under a Conservative government that preferred to heighten police powers and cut away arts and youth funding during a mental health crisis.