Deadline arrives for consultation on planned 50% HE funding cut for Arts subjects

Today is the deadline for an Office for Students consultation on the proposals, which were outlined in a letter from education secretary Gavin Williamson in January.

In the letter, which can be read in full here, the MP instructs the OFS to ‘reprioritise funding towards the provision of high-cost, high-value subjects that support the NHS and wider healthcare policy, high-cost STEM subjects and/or specific labour market needs’, reducing funding for those subjects which ‘do not support these priorities’ by 50% for the coming academic year.

Professional association for Drama teachers, National Drama, has responded to the proposals, writing that they are ‘appalled by and extremely critical of the government’s latest proposal to halve funding to drama, music and creative academic subjects at higher education level.’

National Drama continues: ‘We share the view of the Musicians’ Union that this is a staggeringly retrograde and catastrophic plan for equality of opportunity, for the cultural industries, for the arts, for our world leading performing arts reputation, for our bright, ambitious and resilient youngsters and for the exceptional staff working tirelessly in arts education at every level.

‘After Covid, despite all the Conservative party’s talk of wellbeing and the importance of education, despite the huge contribution that the arts and the cultural industries make to the public purse and our profile as world leaders in the arts,  despite the evidence provided by the Cultural Learning Alliance and numerous other associations, and artists using their global platform to encourage better arts in state schools we seem to be staring into an abyss of devalued, undermined and elitist access to the arts.

‘After the devastation of the EBacc on Arts subjects generally and Drama specifically in KS4 and 5, the slashing of Drama and Performing Arts ITT and graduate courses, the planned amputation of BTEC Music, Dance and Drama at Level 3 with no replacements as a ‘T Level’, the undervaluing of the arts since Drama’s exclusion as a specialist discrete subject from the National Curriculum, the lack of a bursary in Drama for ITT students, and comments from the Head of Ofsted Amanda Spielman implying that the arts lead to poor prospects, National Drama urges that we all need to act together to champion the positive, transformative, academic and practical power of the arts for children and young people.’

Actor Samuel West, who is chair of the National Campaign for the Arts, has taken to social media on the issue, describing the plans as 'horrific'.

The public can respond to the consultation by filling in the form here.