In another concerning move from the current UK Government, it has been revealed that it plans to impose a 50 percent funding cut to “high cost” subjects at higher education (HE) in England, including music. This is because music and the arts are not among its “strategic priorities”. The Musicians’ Union has encouraged its members to respond to their consultation.
This is the latest in a series of major obstacles faced by the creative industries going back to the structure of GCSE exams and the introduction of the English Baccalaureate system, initially tabled in 2011 and revised in 2015 and 2017. The restriction on option subjects created at this level put pressure on arts subjects, and between 2010 and 2018 there had already been a 28% decline in entries for Arts GCSEs.
The struggles the Creative Industries continue to face through the combination of the pandemic and Brexit are well documented, but this new development shows again the Government’s apparent disregard for the Arts in the UK. It makes campaigns such as ‘Project Get Singing’ all the more relevant to show that the Arts are not only a valuable hobby for millions, but a viable vocation for many, contributing hugely to the economy of this nation.
For more information, click here: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/mu-expresses-horror-at-proposed-halving-of-funding-for-music-at-he-in-england
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