What's the future for university music courses?
Posted on 16th August 2024 at 12:51
Picture by Rui Alves, Unsplash
The last few years have been a challenging time for arts education in the UK. As educational institutions have struggled with rising costs and funding decreases, we have seen a series of decisions to cut back university music education across the country.
And while most of these cuts have affected courses for post-18 students, junior departments have not been immune. This summer, young musicians hoping to attend weekend courses at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama were disappointed to learn of the closure of this provision.
We explore what has been happening in the sector, the reasons behind these closures, and – with a new government in place – what the future may hold for music in higher education.
Closing RWCMD’s youth courses
On 19th July, the RWCMD announced that it is to stop its regular youth provision for musicians and actors, citing "significant financial challenges".
Young RWCMD (also known as Junior RWCMD) was set up to offer young people a space to develop their creative talents, with a particular focus on music and drama. Through its weekly activities, students aged 4 to 18 have been given the chance to learn new skills, explore the creative arts and prepare for further learning at university level.
But from September 2024, its Saturday courses will cease, with more than 300 students affected, along with 118 jobs, including six members of salaried staff.
The decision follows a consultation with staff, students, parents and the wider sector, set up as the college grappled with financial challenges that many other arts education providers will be familiar with. In its statement, the college pointed to high inflation, the capping of undergraduate student fees, and a reduction in government funding for higher education.
Announcing the decision, the RWCMD emphasised that it will continue to deliver project work, including a series of weekend music workshops, holiday courses and a National Open Youth Orchestra Ensemble Residency.
Picture by Austin Pacheco, Unsplash
The college has also committed to a period of review in 2024/25, in which it aims to work with others in the sector on a national talent programme for Wales.
But the move has sparked widespread criticism, with a petition against the closure gathering over 10,000 signatures within 10 days of the announcement. Delyth Jewell MS, Chair of the Welsh Senedd’s Culture Committee, said the committee was "deeply disappointed" by the decision. Meanwhile an open letter opposing the closure has been signed by a raft of names including composer Michael Fitzhardinge Berkeley, musician Joanna MacGregor CBE and conductor Mark Wigglesworth.
The wider context
The announcement from RWCMD follows a series of similar closures at UK universities. These have included:
The University of Kent, which announced in March it would close its music and audio technology courses.
Oxford Brookes University, which in November 2023 announced that its music department was to close.
Planned cuts to arts and humanities provision at the Universities of Wolverhampton, Roehampton and Huddersfield.
As with RWCMD, these institutions have pointed to financial challenges, such as capped tuition fees and increased costs, as the core reason for the cuts.
While individual campaigns have been set up to try to persuade universities to reconsider these closures, critics of the cuts have also argued that government policy is key for keeping music courses open.
In 2021, the Department for Education halved funding for music courses along with many other arts and humanities subjects, saying they were not among the government's strategic priorities. And in April this year, funding for creative arts courses at English universities was frozen, while grants for postgraduate studies in these subjects were cut.
Picture by Jens Thekkevee, Unsplash
In response, many in the sector have called on the government to change its approach and protect arts education. Nitin Sawhney, composer and Chair of the PRS Foundation, has argued that music has been "undervalued as an academic subject for too long," while the Musician's Union has called for the government to act to "halt the decline in university music provision, which is vital to support and sustain the UK's multi-billion-pound music industry."
Meanwhile Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the Independent Society of Musicians, also denounced the funding squeeze, calling it the result of a lack of alignment between government departments.
She argues: "The government repeatedly says that it wants the creative industries to drive growth; however, delivering real-terms cuts to creative education courses is another example of actions speaking louder than words. Sadly it’s our talent pipeline which will be hardest hit in future."
New hope for the future?
But with a new government having taken office in July, some are hopeful of a potential change in policy. While we are yet to see announcements on government funding for higher education, Chair of UK Music Tom Kiehl pointed to the new Prime Minister's own background as a student at the Guildhall School of Music.
Music teacher Nat Dye has previously blogged for us on the importance of music education. Writing in Music Teacher magazine earlier this year after a meeting with the now Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Nat described his cautious optimism about what he heard:
"She wants to ‘fix the damaged pipeline of creative talent as well as the future enjoyment of young people as audience members and happy amateurs’. She already knows that ‘subjects like music, which build confidence and skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork, must be available to all our children, not just some’."
Meanwhile, the Musicians Union has welcomed what it calls "positive manifesto commitments" on music education. And in an early speech, Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture pointed to a curriculum review, which she said had been "initiated to put creative and sports opportunities back at the heart of a richer, larger, life for every single child".
It remains to be seen exactly how a change in government will affect university music departments – but those involved in music provision in higher education will be watching closely.
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