The Earl of Clancarty will question the Government on Wednesday 25 February about what support is planned for drama schools in the wake of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School's recent undergraduate course cancellation announcement
During the House of Lords question time session on Wednesday 26 February 2025, the Earl of Clancarty will ask the following question of the Government:
‘Following the announcement that the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is closing its undergraduate courses, what support do they plan to give drama schools and other creative courses in higher education?’
The posing of this question follows the recent decision by the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to cease accepting applications for its undergraduate degree programmes from September 2025. The school explained that ‘recent changes’, such as capping of student fees and restrictions on international student visas has made the running of undergraduate courses ‘financial unsustainable’. This issue was covered by Drama & Theatre in a news article in January: click to read the original post.
The Earl of Clancarty, Nicholas Power Richard Le Poer Trench, is a crossbench member of the House of Lords. He has spoken up regularly on issues relating to education and the arts, and is a member of the Lord Speaker’s Advisory Panel on Works of Art.
The question and responses can be watched live, or afterwards via Parliament TV from around 3.10pm on Wednesday 26 February 2025.