Learners from Burton and South Derbyshire College recently protested over the potential removal of courses including performing arts, painting and decorating, animal care and brickwork.
A number of the protesting learners had just finished their first year in performing arts, and were expecting to continue into the second year of their courses after the summer break. Abbie Wilson, a drama student, said of the news: “I am devastated as we have just been told our target grade and all got onto the course for our second year. When I was told, I just cried – we all have the hope of going to drama school but that might not happen now.”
Abbie’s parents, Florim and Joanna Shkodra, also commented on the potential removal of the performing arts courses and the impact it would have on their daughter. Mr Shkodra said: “We are absolutely devastated… For many of these students it is all they have wanted since they were young – to act. The same courses are as far away as Nottingham or Birmingham… When Abbie told us, she just broke down. Since she started this course she has become a really lively person. She has blossomed and her confidence has grown.
“I would say to the college, look at the group and the passion. Let them finish their courses… it is their future.”
It wasn’t just current students of the college that attended the protest. Former students, including 19-year-old Daniel Longhurst, who travelled up from London, were present. Mr Longhurst, a Performing Arts graduate, said: “I train in London now, at the number one institute in Europe [for performing arts] and I couldn’t have gone there without the emphasis on arts that I got from the college.”
Burton and South Derbyshire College has produced a number of learners who’ve gone on to be successful in the area of performing arts, including film director Shane Meadows of This Is England fame.
Fellow graduate Craig Boxon said of the college’s arts offering: “These courses gave me a chance to reinvent myself,” while a current learner said the possibility of the course cuts has left her and her fellow students feeling “abandoned and unimportant”. Actor Paddy Considine, another successful graduate of the college who has starred in films including The Bourne Ultimatum and Cinderella Man, said he was devastated by the news: “without the college I don’t know where I would have ended up. It was my haven. At times like this, the arts are always the first to suffer.”
A spokesperson for the college said the reason for cutting these courses was due to falling student numbers and the subsequent reduction in their EFA allocation. They said: “The college’s EFA allocation has reduced as our recruitment of young people is lower than in previous years. Our catchment area has seen a decline in the 16-18 demographic and this is what has driven the reduction.”
Time and time again, we’re seeing the value that both arts-based education and vocational education bring to learners. Yet, in times of budget cuts and constraints, these courses are often the first to be removed. Arts subjects are often seen as lesser in comparison to subjects like science, maths or law, with many arguing they don’t lead to sustainable careers. However, the arts and culture industry in the UK generated over £12.4 billion for the economy in 2011. 10 million visitors to the UK engaged in the arts and culture industry, and it’s proven to be a big pull for tourists; this number represents almost half of all visitors to the UK, and 42% of all tourism-related expenditure was on the arts. When it comes to education, taking part in drama improves English attainment, and learners from a disadvantaged background are 3 times more likely to achieve a degree after engaging in arts activities at school. Study of arts subjects makes learners more employable and more likely to stay in employment (source: Arts Council).
The protest also emphasised the confidence arts qualifications give learners, and their character-building qualities. An evaluation commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) found that soft skills like confidence, problem solving, motivation, team working and social and emotional skills were higher in learners who studied arts subjects. The study also highlighted the importance of these skills and their contribution to learners’ progression. Many of the learners and parents interviewed backed this up, saying arts gave them the confidence they needed and provided a safe space for them.
While the protests focused mainly on the removal of performing arts courses, qualifications in areas like brickwork, painting and decorating and other vocational specialist areas are vital for learners looking to pursue a career in those areas. For jobs like this, hands-on vocational training has proven to be the best way to prepare a learner for their career. Do you learn how to become a bricklayer by studying the theory of bricklaying, or by actually building a wall?
This protest not only highlights the necessity of arts and vocational subjects, but also brings to light the concern around learners’ abilities to travel to college. As the parents of one learner highlighted, the removal of these courses from their local college means learners would have to travel to cities that could be beyond their reach. For learners who can’t afford to travel a great distance, or for those who live too far away, this could severely limit their education options, and this should be taken into consideration in the area reviews. With university, it’s considered the norm to study away from home, and maintenance loans are available to support living costs. This isn’t the case for Further Education, so many learners have a limited number of centres they can study at. It’s vital that a variety of courses are available locally to ensure they can take the first step on the path to their dream career.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it fair that vocational and art-based subjects are often removed in times of budget cuts?
