To think it's wrong that Dance and Drama students get so much help with degree costs?

[Serin]

When everyone else has to pay £9000 a year and then living costs.
If the government has money to fund some courses why not use it to fund nursing students?
www.gov.uk/dance-drama-awards

Do we have a chronic shortage of actors?

YABU _ why not give help to talented young people who otherwise couldn't follow their vocation?

I'd rather have more nurses than jazz hand actors actually.....

Well firstly, most DaDa schools are not providing degrees, they are usually diplomas (plus A Levels at some schools). Secondly, DaDas only pay for tuition, not boarding/living/accommodation costs which parents have to fund themselves. This makes DaDas impossible for lots of parents. Parental contributions towards fees are on a sliding scale too, so they are means tested.

Personally, had my child the talent, physique, work ethic etc to get a place at a DaDa school, I would not say to her "sorry, you can't accept your place because the Government should be funding more nursing posts". Most children successfully getting into DaDa schools have sacrificed so much of their childhood/social life to ballet or drama.

Knowing the Tories, if they stop DaDas, they are almost certainly not going to put that money into training nurses.

I read "DaDa" as "Dada", as in "Dadaism", and wondered why on earth there were whole schools for an obscure and outdated avant garde movement!

books eye test

I studied Theatre & Performing (didn't apply for a Dance and Drama Award though as course not eligible) and I agree that funding nursing etc would be a better use of the funds. The introduction of postgraduate loans doesn't help matters.

I had an offer to do my MA Drama, funded. I would have paid it back at a tiny rate and not at all if I wasn't earning £21k a year in 30 years time. I've had a career change and will be applying for Paramedic Sciences in a few years time, and the bursaries are gone. How can we fund an extra year of Drama etc but not new nurses, midwives and paramedics?

Although I take offence at the "jazz hand actors" comment We do more than that. As part of my dissertation I wrote, produced and performed a piece that convinced several people to sign up to donate blood, bone marrow and organs, with the proposal to take it out into universities and sixth forms. We also created Theatre in Education pieces and assisted trainee GPs. Some people go on to specialise in these avenues or as dramatherapists. It isn't all jazz hands and sequins.

Yanbu

Elphaba99 "Only pay for tuition"?
But that is £27000 over a 3 year course.
Also I am not sure that they do only pay for tuition?
On the Gov. website there is a sliding scale for maintenance rates.

Also lots of children have sacrificed a lot of their childhood to ballet or drama. One of my DS's has sacrificed most of his to his sport but will get know government funding if he chooses to study sports science.

I agree that if the Tories take DaDa funding away they won't use the money to fund public service degrees, I just object to the way that my hard earned taxes are used in this way.

I would love to see the statistics that show how many of these people become professional dancers or actors, and if they do "Make it" they should bloody well pay it back like everyone else does.

It's not even money that is going solely to publicly funded Uni's? Most institutions on the list are privately funded.

Why am I paying for someone else to go to Italia Conti?

No Government funding.

I agree with you, OP.

Ovaries, good luck with your Paramedic course.

I can't imagine there are tonnes of these awards waiting to be handed out. Do you have the figures?

The DaDAs endure that drama school/dance school isn't elitist. And in fact very few students get the full award anyway, only those with a family income under £30,000. Those with a family income over £90,000 get nothing. There are no loans available to cover the shortfall or maintenance costs.

The arts are one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy. We already employ far far too many dancers etc from abroad. Let's support our UK talent.

I am in the process of making a freedom of information request as I would love to know just how much money is being spent on this scheme.

Everyone at each of the 19 education providers is entitled to apply, it is not a scholarship that is awarded to only one or two students. It seems to be awarded to anyone who has lived in the UK for 3 years or be an EU resident/have 'settled status'.

Who knew?

I think it's brilliant. Why should this sort of training only be available to rich people? We need art as much as we need nurses, why does it have to be a zero sum game? I bet we're talking no more than a couple of hundred people a year - these sorts of institutions don't have both year groups.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/dance-and-drama-awards-income-scales/aaaaa

There seems to be a clear indication that funding for 'maintenance' is available on this scale?

Alexander? So if they have a family income of over £90000 there is no help available?

As someone who works with people who do not even have a bed to sleep in .......my heart bleeds.

Serin - although everyone is eligible to apply not everyone who is offered a place gets a DaDa.

Each college has a pot of money. Applicants are listed in order of talent. If the first few people on the list are from low income families they get a larger grant so the money runs out sooner. If, however the first on the list are from higher income families the money can be spread between more students.

It was only increased to 90,000 last year. The year before that it was a limirvif £70,000.

Lonny...I am not disputing the value of art, maybe we do need dancers as much as nurses BUT that doesn't mean I want to fund it.

The fact is everyone else has to pay back their university costs and I don't think dancers should be the exception.

In actual fact many would prefer the student loan system to be able to be applied to the Trinity Diploma Applications for degree courses are up as families can't afford DaDa funded courses

I don't think that taking away funding for drama is going to give funding for healthcare. Both should have funding. If we take away drama's funding then neither will have funding and what would have been achieved?

Well that's great Alex, lets see if our economising government will pull the scheme and the students can hold their heads high, knowing they are paying their way, just like everyone else.

I think part of the problem with that is that many of these students are only 16.

Need art as much as nurses

Good one!

Tinsel, I have already stated that I don't think taking away DaDa funding will mean more money spent on healthcare students. I merely used, say, Nursing as a comparative course.

Nurse funding has gone. It is not going to be reinstated, (at least not under this government).

I just object to my share of taxes being used to send someone to Italia Conti!

The playing field should be the same whatever degree/course a student is studying.

We need art as much as we need nurses

Er, no. We don't.