Celebrities in the United Kingdom (UK) lamented poor developments in creative education and addressed the issues plaguing the creative industries. The proposed improvements were sent in an open letter to the UK government.
OVER 150 celebrities and industry leaders alike have signed a letter from the Creative Industries Federation, calling on the government to recognize the ‘critical’ role of creative education for young people, for the creative industries, and for the economy as a whole.
Creative education, as the letter points out, requires learners to utilize critical thinking and imagination in the development of meaningful and new insights that make them flexible, independent, and risk-takers.
Creative education is critical
Celebrities and leaders from the arts industry have urged the UK administration to propel accessibility of creative education to the youth.
In the letter co-signed by Lord James Foster, Rankin, Adwoa Aboah, Sir Lenny Henry, Inua Ellams, Sir Nigel Carrington and over one hundred fifty (150) celebrities and industry leaders, the importance of creative subjects was emphasized.
The letter asserts that the UK could optimally benefit if a balanced and broad curriculum could be incentivized.
The worries about the low emphasis on creative education can be illustrated by results from A-level, where the number of learners taking music and drama continued to decrease.
Creative education concerns
The Creative Industries Federation has been concerned about the trend witnessed in the creative education sector.
This was expressed through the letter where it asks the UK administration to acknowledge the fundamental role played by creative education in nurturing the youth and the general economy.
The issues addressed by the letter are founded on an eight percent (8%) decline in the number of learners undertaking General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in the creative sector since 2014 and 2015. Some of the sidelined subjects include dance, music, art, and drama.
The federation’s letter calls for stun actions such as English Baccalaureate (EBacc)’s discontinuation or its expansion so that creative subjects can be included.
Young people must be advised about how to attain creative careers, and this can only be attained if an entirely new approach is crafted where creative subjects will be given optimal emphasis.
In effect, the federation wants policymakers to change its tune about creative subjects.
These concerns have been raised as Glasgow School of Art’s students have shown their disappointment after being charged more than twenty thousand pounds (£ 20,000) for a course where tutors are not present. Consequently, Rockstar Van Zandt has championed for music education.
Another letter…
One can recall another letter where more than 250 celebrities, together with Benedict Cumberbatch, Paloma Faith and best-known actors, artists, musicians, and writers warn that if Britain were to leave the European Union it would become “an outsider shouting from the wings”.
After the 23 June poll that will determine whether Britain’s future lies within the European Union, the Sherlock Holmes actor and the Brit award-winning singer have joined a star-studded list of creative figures in an open letter urging voters to back remain.
The current letter focuses on the future of the UK’s biggest exports, its creative culture. In the coming days, we will see if the greater majority will blend their voices and accept the baton so the fight continues.
