THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IS KILLING THE ARTS…

GLOBAL EDUCATION WEEK

While experts have long acknowledged the critical role the arts play in our education system, funding for arts education continues to decline worldwide. In 2021, spend on arts education in the U.K. came to an average of just £9.40 per pupil for the entire year. Yet, in the same year the creative industry contributed £109 billion to the UK economy. In the U.S., that figure was over $1 trillion.

In other parts of the world, the situation is even more dire. As Eric Booth, (a U.S. based arts educator) says: “There are a whole lot of countries in the world that don’t have the arts in the school, it just isn’t a thing, and it never has been.”

Dr. Jelena Trkulja, senior adviser for academic and cultural affairs at Qatar Museums, fears that “Arts education is still perceived as an add-on, rather than an essential field, creating essential 21st-century skills that are defined as the four C’s of collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking,”

This was certainly the tone when I was in high school - Art was definitely seen as an unnecessary and luxury subject, and was pretty much forgotten about altogether. Our art class had 5 different teachers during the final year of our A-Levels, one of whom preferred playing black jack with us to teaching us how to actually navigate the curriculum. When we graduated, there was a prize awarded to the top student in every subject – apart from Art.

Between 2010 and 2023, participation and enrolment in the arts at GCSE level declined by a catastrophic 47%. That includes a drop of 72% in performing arts, 73% in Design and Technology, and 41% in music.

“The arts are one of the fundamental ways that we try to make sense of the world,” says Brian Kisida, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Public Affairs. “People use the arts to offer a critical perspective of their exploration of the human condition, and that’s what the root of education is in some ways.”

Recent research by Dr. Brian Kisida and Professor Daniel H. Bowen found that students who had increased exposure to the arts in education saw improvements in writing achievement, emotional and cognitive empathy, school engagement, attendance, and higher education aspirations, while they had fewer disciplinary infractions.

Practising creative subjects has also been shown to improve critical thinking, problem-solving, self-confidence, resilience, increased self-esteem, improved social skills, improved mental health and reduced anxiety. It also can help to encourage a growth mindset, as practised skills improve with effort.

But aside from the effect on the individual, the decline of the arts in education has wider ramifications for society as a whole - we're losing skills that are essential across the board in all sectors. Surgeons have complained that their students are unable to use a scalpel during operations because they have never learnt to use a craft knife. They can't administer surgical stitches because they've never learnt to sew. Roger Kneebone, professor of surgical education at Imperial College, London, worries that young people have so little experience of craft skills that they struggle with anything practical that requires dexterity.

Everything man-made is the result of intentional design - From the chairs we sit on, to the books we read, the buildings we live and work in, and the films we watch, all reflecting purpose, function and beauty. All a result of skills honed, practised and supported.

Yet our education system has become so performance-measured that creative subjects are being overlooked and squeezed out in favour of core academic subjects. The last UK government went as far as to suggest that Maths should be a statutory subject at A-Level, (a move that would definitely have deterred me from progressing to higher education, and would prohibit many others pursuing a creative path). 

Research released in July 2024 conducted by the University of Warwick and the Campaign for the Arts pressure group, showed that the UK has cut its culture budget by 6% since 2010, while Germany, France and Finland have each increased their spending by up to 70%.

The report stated that “reduced funding and a marginalisation of the arts in English state schools” is at crisis point.

With the rise of AI and its threat to the arts, it’s never been so important that we nurture the creative minds of the next generation. 

We founded our collective with the aim of supporting and making opportunities for creatives, (ourselves included!), and that has been our core principle ever since. We’ve proved that, (despite the advise of my co-founder’s University art tutor, that “you will never make money from art”), creativity can pay the bills. We’ve survived 2 recessions, and a pandemic where we were urged to ‘retrain’. We’ve worked with dozens of professional artists, on thousands of creative projects over the past 15 years. 

Many of those projects involved creating art murals in educational settings. We believe that being surrounded by art can have so many positive effects on the educational experience of young people, from inspiration and stimulation, to aiding concentration and memory. But we also believe in involving students in that creative process. In a range of workshops, talks, crits and live briefs, we love to encourage students to explore their creativity. We’ve worked with so many wonderful schools who are turning ‘STEM’ (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths), into STEAM, by adding Art into the mix. With these schools we have brought some truly inspiring projects to life. 

But over the past 15 years, we have also spoken to countless primary school teachers who simply have no budget for art materials or projects, some who spend their own money on supplies just so that they can include creativity in their lessons. Research published in June 2024 stated that two-thirds of primary teachers reported spending their own money on classroom materials for art or science. (Research by the National Foundation for Educational Research)

We eagerly await the curriculum review commissioned by the new Secretary of State for Education; Bridget Phillipson. The review, which will be led by Professor Becky Francis, apparently aims to make the arts and creativity a central part of the education system, and it can’t come soon enough.   

This Global Education Week, the words of Tristram Hunt, (director of the Victoria and Albert Museum), are ringing in my ears:

"Creativity is not just for artists. Subjects like design and technology, music, art and drama are vitally important for children to develop imagination and resourcefulness, resilience, problem-solving, team-working and technical skills. These are the skills which will enable young people to navigate the changing workplace of the future and stay ahead of the robots, not exam grades."

While we navigate this gruelling financial era, it’s essential that we don't lose our path to growth. Yes, times are hard, and budgets are tight, but without creativity there is no growth. 

If, like us, you believe that the Arts are not a luxury, but a vital part of our education system, societal development, and growth navigation, then we’ve made some art for you. Feel free to download it, share it, display it and enjoy it!