Cuts to Music funding (and others)

[PantTwizzler]

Apparently the government is consulting on cuts to Music funding at HE level. (There are other subjects facing 50% cuts as well: “performing and creative arts, media studies and archaeology”).

The Musicians Union is protesting as you might expect.

Does anyone know what this might mean for prospective students? I have a DD who is thinking of applying for Music for 2022.

Eng Lang is not all that widely offered though. Lit should be in every school but isn't any more. Our numbers have gone from 50 10 years ago to 8 :(

@Piggywaspushed

Eng Lang is not all that widely offered though. Lit should be in every school but isn't any more. Our numbers have gone from 50 10 years ago to 8 :(

Wow!

Basically, it's an attack on the arts & humanities generally.

I think it'll be like the Big Yellow Taxi: you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

The UK reputation for innovation & inventiveness comes from critical thinking - the core of arts subjects, and not necessarily a strength of business degrees.

All those "soft" skills are actually quite difficult things - it's why we are a mecca for students from east Asia and the Middle East - the thinking outside the box, the critique, the academic freedom to keep on investigating & asking why? and how?

You can't necessarily teach creativity, but you can teach and show the conditions which can generate it.

I find it a depressing reflection of the fact that so many of our politicians no longer spend time in the real world before going in to politics and are therefore so unaware that so much of the value of a degree is not the subject matter but the way it trains you to think/judge and communicate. A lot of graduate jobs are populated by people from a wide number of disciplines - you don't need a degree in accountancy to be an accountant etc.

The creative arts sector gives a lot more to the UK than STEM so it would make more sense to acknowlege this. Also lots of people who study creative arts end up in related careers eg fashion into buying etc. I find the whole idea that higher education has to be functional extremely depressing.

As I said, my DD did go to LCF. If you look at grad prospects, some of these courses score very low. Please show me the 100% figures into employment.

I know these sectors are important but there is over supply. As indeed there is of law degree holders and quite a few others. They do cost the taxpayer money and the question should be asked if they are all necessary.

I’m also not questioning the size of the arts but since when did big groups have music degrees? There are limited options for grads in lots of these area because so many routes are taken. Overall too many pursuing the opportunities.

A core tenant of the arts and creative industries however is that there is always going to be far more people studying it than are eventually earning a living in that discipline. And the nature of the industries mean it's very hard to determine at the pre-undergrad stage who will be "successful". It depends not just on talent but a lot of timing and luck, contacts and the state of the industry at that particular time, and whether graduates are able to take control of creating their own work, e.g. a drama student writing something.

There is already gatekeeping in place to get in. I do think that people with talent and enthusiasm for the subject should be able to take the degree that they want to regardless of statistics re likelihood of employment.

I don’t actually agree with that as it’s a hugely expensive model to give totally free choice. By all means rank courses and universities but a lot more honesty is needed re career possibilities. Theatre can be who you know. Not what you know. If funding is cut then I would want to see it redirected to courses where we need all the grads we can get.

Theatre can be who you know, which is unfair and promotes discrimination and exclusivity. Drama school is one way of combatting that in some way.

I think most prospective undergrads for these courses know fine well the chances of making it are slim. But they live in hope that they’ll be part of the successful minority.

It’s not totally free choice either: they may want to do a MT or drama or fashion degree but doesn’t mean they’ll get in.

@Comefromaway

I don;t disagree with anything you say. It's just the headlines seemed to make out that all the funding would be cut by 50%, not just the extra they get for being a high cost subject.

My daughter studies at a vocational dance college, dh teaches singing at a vocational institution and my son is very likely to apply to an ex poly type institution (Huddersfield or Salford maybe) for music so I have vested interest in arts funding.

Cheers for this sweetie. I'm not sure what dd will do now, they might as well just pay their teachers to continue, especially those who teach at the conservatoires anyway. I suppose those that want to teach will need a degree though, so they'll continue. Not holding my breath for the players.

Some places are very fussy over entry and others less so. Fashion degrees often gave foundation years available. The world leading ones will stay.