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| Bridget Phillipson Photo: Lauren Hurley, Open Government Licence v3.0 |
Universities in England will no longer receive any government teaching grants to support performing and creative arts courses, it emerged yesterday. Writing to the Office for Students (OfS), Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson said that money should be spent "on those areas of highest national importance, ensuring the grant is firmly aligned with the need of our higher education system, the skills required by the economy, and long term-demands of national growth and opportunities."
Stating that she knew this would be challenging, she said "We will champion every young person and adult with the ambition and potential to pursue higher education...We will ensure they have the support they need to step forward with confidence and seize the opportunities ahead."
Critics have noted that both film and theatre contribute substantial revenues to the treasury, and have been among the economic success stories of recent years. Concern has also been expressed about the impact this will have on initiatives aimed at promoting social mobility. Across the UK, acting remains a profession dominated by people from upper middle class backgrounds.
In a statement, the RSC said that it had "huge concerns about the impact of the proposed distribution and resulting cuts to arts courses on widening existing inequalities, the cultural and creative sector talent pipeline, the ability of our creative industries to remain world-leading in future years, and the message they send about the value of arts subjects overall."
Phillipson has also advised that the equivalent funding should be withdrawn from history, geography, archaeology, computing and nursing courses.
