Creative arts should be compulsory for students

Creative arts in education should be compulsory, says Lucy Noble, artistic director of the Royal Albert Hall.

Noble argues that GSCE students should take at least one creative subject, such as design, art or music, to help boost future talent for the UK's creative industries.

In an open letter to education minister Damian Hinds, Noble said: “The dramatic fall in the number of GCSE students choosing a creative art subject, and the government’s apparent unwillingness to address this problem, is a matter of increasing concern for many involved in the creative industries.”

The artistic director’s comments come as new statistics reveal a sharp decline in the popularity of creative arts subjects.

Figures released by exam regulator Ofqual show the number of students taking a creative art course at GCSE level has fallen by 26 per cent over the last five years.

“Austerity measures and the continuing tendency for schools to focus on more academic subjects, risk having a negative and irreversible long-term impact on the field for which Britain is respected all over the world,” said Noble.

She added: “We are calling for at least one creative arts subject to be made compulsory for all pupils taking GCSEs in England and Wales, and for the proper investment in our future musicians, actors and artists before it is too late to reverse this most serious of declines.”

There are over 30 colleges and universities in the UK offering fashion degree courses, with thousands graduating in design, business, marketing and production. Private institutions like the Condé Nast College of Fashion and Istituto Marangoni are also attracting UK students.

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