MGUK: THE ARTS ARE (STILL) UNDER ATTACK
This article was written for Music Geeks UK Issue 2. Read the full issue here.
Public Campaign For the Arts Cover Photo
Music could become a minute resource, as the Government are once again attempting to diminish the arts.
Proposed funding cuts to arts subjects in the Higher Education Teaching Grant budget for 2021-2022 have been made by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, in order to prioritize funding to, “subjects vital to the economy and labour markets.”
This would mean a 50% cut to subjects at universities, and would affect courses such as music, dance, drama, design, media studies, and archaeology; subjects deemed to not be “strategic priorities” by Williamson. Students on an affected course would see their funding fall from £243 to £121.50, and this will ultimately limit the availability and accessibility of arts education.
This is especially devastating in the wake of the pandemic’s after-effects. Lockdown has resulted in so many venues being closed and professional creatives losing their livelihoods. With cuts to education, employment in the arts industry will be even harder to acquire, and the kind of ripple effect this could have on the industry may be catastrophic.
Of course, cuts to the arts are nothing new. Following Margaret Thatcher’s election as Prime Minister in 1979, the new Conservative government passed its first spending review, resulting in a cut of £1 million to the arts, and this has been a constant ever since. In regards to music specifically, according to the British Phonographic Industry there was a 21% reduction in music provisions in state schools between 2015-2020. Granted, there was also a 7% increase in music provisions in private schools, but that further cements the effects that strategies such as the 50% cut will have, in that it will most likely affect those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and make the arts a culture of inaccessibility and elitism.
But while there have always been cuts, there has also always been those who have fought against them. Back in the late 1970s, there was the Theatre Advisory Council that protested Thatcher’s plans, and now there is one of many organisations, the Public Campaign for the Arts. According to their website’s About Page, the Campaign was originally, “formed in 2020 to protect UK culture from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Now we are the largest arts advocacy organization in the country.”
The Campaign has responded to the Government’s plans with open letters, petitions, and social media campaigning, including having #ForTheArts trend on Twitter. On one of their petitions, titled, “Gavin Williamson - Stop the 50% Funding Cut to Arts Subjects in Higher Education,” they have stated, “This is an attack on the future of UK arts, the creative potential of the next generation, and the people who deliver our world-leading arts courses. Rather than segregating and devaluing the arts in this way, the Government should maintain its important investment in creative skills, ensuring that arts courses are widely accessible and properly supported.”
Throughout these campaigns, an emphasis has been put on the importance of the creative industry, as its value was made abundantly clear throughout the pandemic in terms of providing mental well-being and social cohesion. In terms of economic value, in 2018 the arts sector contributed more than £111 billion to the economy, and just before the pandemic it was employing 2.1 million people. According to UK Music’s figures, the music industry alone contributed £5.8 billion in 2019. And ultimately, research from Universities UK found that higher education was, “the primary producer of the talent and skills that feed the creative industries, and an important source of research that informs new ideas, practices and business models.” This is why music education, along with other arts subjects, is so vital.
The positive effects of music courses have been proven through countless studies. Music Mark’s booklet, 10 Things Schools Should Know About Music, details the research undertaken by the University of London, which demonstrates that music can support the development of literacy, numeracy, and listening skills. In a recent study of Music Education Hubs, Fautley et al. found that hub leaders could identify teamwork as a key result of music-making, alongside a range of other social skills. Furthermore, the Department for Education has stated that high-quality music education can improve self-confidence, and while music touches the lives of all young people, the disadvantaged can benefit the most from it. Therefore, it is incredibly important to ensure the accessibility of arts education.
Music is a vital subject to the UK and its inhabitants. Hopefully, with the work of diligent campaigners, it is a subject that we won’t have to lose.