Back in June 2024, Drama & Theatre reported on The Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT) and the launch of its manifesto for performing arts education. Just over six months on, Rhianna Elsden catches up with Director of the CDMT Glyndwr Jones, and Emily Maloney, co-author of the manifesto alongside Jones, to find out more about the detail and progress already under way to realise its aims.
What have been some of the immediate responses and impact following the release of the manifesto last summer?
Glyndwr Jones: Crucially, our All-Party Parliamentary Group for Performing Arts Education and Training, for which CDMT is secretariat, met at Westminster on 15 January 2025 with discussions focusing on: the implementation of CDMT's manifesto recommendations; our robust response to the Department for Education's consultation on the curriculum (November 2024), and recent contributions to parliamentary debates in both the House of Commons and House of Lords.
The latter particularly focused on CDMT's successful campaign to counter the inclusion of Trinity College London's professional performing arts diplomas in the government's new VAT policy and our instigation of a debate on creative arts education at the Commons on 18 December 2024, led by Jess Brown-Fuller MP. There was also a creative industries debate at the House of Lords on 6 February 2025 at which CDMT's Chair, Lady Wilcox spoke.
You must be very pleased with the positive reception of the manifesto, especially beyond the industry itself, and within parliament, for example.
Glyndwr Jones: Indeed. Autumn 2024 saw the timely publication of research commissioned by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), which persuasively articulates the positive benefits of cultural engagement on the physical and mental wellbeing of individuals.
This groundbreaking report reached the conclusion that cultural engagement is worth roughly £8 billion to the UK economy – approximately £1000 per adult citizen – in terms of delivering national wellbeing benefits.
This means performing arts is an industry which contributes in a major way to the UK economy, as well as in a cultural, philosophical and humanitarian sense.
As ever, more compelling evidence mounts up – of the value of artistic and creative engagement for all, but also for the benefit of society more widely – and with new political outlooks in the ascendant, we could be witnessing an important inflection point, perhaps even a fundamental shift in the zeitgeist, for the future of the arts in the life and education of the UK.
The manifesto highlighted the issue of accessibility to the performing arts. Can you tell D&T readers more about this?
Emily Maloney: Many [students] are excluded from access to high-quality experiences specifically because, in the performing arts, they are often happening outside the confines of the school curriculum. CDMT's practical take is all about finding ways to maximise the impact of existing resources, enhance networking possibilities and celebrate success.
What are the solutions/growth models proposed within the manifesto to enhance in-and out-of-school connections and opportunities for performing arts?
Emily Maloney: Colleagues in music have provided visiting specialist input to schools for years through Music Hubs, whereas specialists in dance, drama and musical theatre often work only in the private sector or through outreach networks. The successful Music Hub model could extend to include the other performing arts.
For example, PE teachers charged with dance projects, or English teachers leading on drama, could enjoy fruitful collaborations with visiting dance and drama specialists. The combination of expertise in structuring learning at subject level and specialist performing arts input could deliver powerful learning experiences, inspiring achievement and raising aspiration.
It would also give learners (who might choose later to specialise themselves) access to valuable technical advice to support their progress. Such an approach could have a real impact on levelling the playing field for access to quality performing arts teaching for all.
The manifesto is also seeking changes to improve entries for examinations in schools?
Emily Maloney: Yes, with the context of the marked decline in entries, the CDMT calls for reform of GCSE and A Level provision in the performing arts, to make them relevant to young people's interests and aspirations. It also asks that additional forms of recognition, some of which may stem from work in outof-school settings, be included in students' profiles, creating one record of achievement, that would make visible, and celebrate, young people's achievements as performers.
The CDMT manifesto can be viewed at cdmt.org.uk/book/manifesto