‘A big step in the right direction’: Arts leaders applaud move to boost creative subjects in England’s schools | Arts in schools

FFor several years, Britain’s leading cultural figures have warned that substandard arts provision in schools devalues ​​the sector and creates an increasingly elitist industry. But the government’s proposed change to the national curriculum, which includes scrapping the English Baccalaureate (Ebacc), has been met with overwhelming positivity, with one person saying it could end “the madness of the past decade”.

The Department for Education said on Wednesday it wants to boost creative subjects taught at GCSE as part of its wider changes to the national curriculum in England.

The changes were revealed in the government’s response to a review of curriculum and assessment published by Professor Becky Francis this week, which stated: “Arts subjects are an entitlement rather than an optional extra and are disciplines in their own right.”

Playwright James Graham, who used his MacTaggart lecture at last year’s Edinburgh Television Festival to highlight class inequality in the arts, has welcomed the end of the “madness of the past decade” in which cultural subjects were devalued.

He said: “It is now important that we look to the future and use this as an opportunity to question what a modern-day arts curriculum should look and feel like for 21st century children, and the difficult times they are growing up in.”

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber said he was pleased the government had recognized “what some of us have known for years: that arts and music in schools are a fundamental right for young people as part of a successful education.”

But he added: “There is still no meat on the bones in the government’s latest announcement. Fundamental questions remain about funding, the structure of the curriculum and, in the case of music, plans to address this country’s chronic teacher shortage.”

Turner Prize winner Antony Gormley said that “the removal of the shadow of Michael Gove and AIPAC should be celebrated”, while sculptor Anish Kapoor said the arts brought “a sense of empathy for our young citizens – something we desperately need, especially now”.

The number of UK students studying arts subjects has declined in recent years, leading to a creativity crisis in state schools. Since 2010, enrollment in art GCSEs has fallen by 40% and the number of art teachers has fallen by 23%.

Research conducted last year found that a decade ago, around half of A-level students were taking at least one humanities subject. By 2021-22, this had fallen to 38%, with arts subjects such as music, design and media studies falling to 24%. The situation has gotten worse, the latest GCSE data shows.

Beth Steele, who regularly campaigns for better representation of the working class in the cultural sector, said art, music and drama “are not extra-curricular subjects, they are essential”.

The Nottingham-born playwright said a school trip to the Tate and National Gallery where she saw Rothko’s paintings when she was 14 was a pivotal moment for her.

“That visit had a profound impact on me: it was a stepping stone on my path,” she said. “Our government’s decision to abolish Ebacc and acknowledge this [issue] It is a huge step in the right direction and is essential for working class children who may not otherwise have access.

The curriculum review says schools do not have enough time to pursue creative subjects, something many arts leaders said is often brought up with them by teachers and others who work in education.

Maria Balshaw, director of the Tate, said the teachers she welcomed often complained about “a lack of space in the curriculum” for the arts. She said: “We believe that creative subjects are essential for creating stronger, more well-rounded and more resilient individuals, and we welcome a review that focuses on the idea of ​​the arts and the ‘enrichment’ it provides.”

Indu Rubasingham, director and co-chief executive of the National Theatre, said that over the past decade she had spoken to drama teachers who had left the profession because drama was cut by their schools.

“We will do everything we can to support this next phase of work and ensure that arts and creativity are at the heart of every school across the country. Without it, someone like me could not get where I am today,” she said.

As part of the shift in focus, the government is proposing changes to performance measures that would encourage the taking of GCSE arts including music, dance and drama by abolishing the Ebacc subject group.

Abigail Pogson, the Barbican’s new chief executive, described the move as a “crucial shift in education”. “I consider it a long-overdue recognition of the need to educate our youth as a whole, as capable human beings, and not just as minds to be trained,” she said.

Alistair Spalding, artistic director and co-chief executive of Sadler’s Wells, said he was pleased to see a “commitment to strengthening the dance curriculum content within physical education”. He said he would like to see the recent decline in the number of pupils taking the subject at GCSE and A-level, and called for “investment in training to ensure there is a pool of teachers and talent in place”.

Alex Bird, chief executive of the Royal Ballet and Opera, said that in “increasingly digital, fragmented and polarized times, the arts are needed more than ever” to develop critical thinking, empathy and shared understanding. Expanding opportunities and access to the arts through the curriculum “will also help ensure that our art forms reflect the richness and diversity of society,” he said.

Saxophonist and composer Yolanda Brown said: “As someone who found my voice through school saxophone, I know first-hand how a great arts education can transform lives. So I welcome any move that puts music and creativity back at the heart of the curriculum, not as an optional extra but as every child’s right.”

Brown stressed that the proposals must be matched with “appropriate investment and support for teachers”, including the provision of tools and training space. “The real test will be whether a child in Newcastle has the same access as a child in Hammersmith; and whether every school, not just the really well-resourced ones, can deliver meaningful creative experiences,” she said.

Nadia Vale, artistic director of the Young Vic, said “bringing the arts back to the pupils’ table” was “long overdue and crucial”.

She said: “This doesn’t mean every pupil will pursue a career in the arts – but why not? There’s a thriving industry here and we need it. It’s about lighting up all parts of the brain and the person.”

“Einstein played the violin since he was six years old; it was not just a hobby, it helped him solve complex physics problems. Our education system often has to put things in boxes, but our brains are not necessarily designed that way, and neither are the emerging industries of the future.”

Ed Sheeran on Wednesday praised the government’s move to reform music teaching in state schools in England, after campaigning for the change including signing an open letter to Keir Starmer in January.