Creative Contours: A State of the Creative Education in the United Kingdom Report
Advanced Learning Opportunities in the Four Regions of the United Kingdom
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The creative sector in the UK stands as a triumphant success. Over the last decade, it grew at a staggering rate, almost twice the speed of the nation's economy, and produced about 400,000 new jobs since 2015. But, the creative economy faces the imminent threat of a critical skills deficit.
This report, our fourth in the State of the Nations series, takes a close look at college and university attendance in the creative fields across the UK's four constituent nations. Shockingly, we see a precipitous drop in participation levels.
Prepared by education experts at Work Advance, this report is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) via the Creative PEC.
Key findings from the research:
- The number of students choosing creative subjects for further education (FE) is steadily dropping in all parts of the UK, at a faster pace compared to the overall subject preference averages.
- In England, there's a 57% decrease in students opting for creative FE subjects from 2014/15 to 2022/23 (aged 19+) compared to a 31% overall decline in all subject preferences.
- In Wales, enrolments in creative learning at FE institutions dropped by 68% from 2012/13 to 2022/23.
- In Scotland, there's a 20% fall in college students studying creative FE subjects over the same decade.
- To the north, there's a 28% decrease in enrolments for creative subjects in Northern Ireland from 2017 to 2022.
The research reveals a stark disparity between the impressive growth of the sector in the last decade and the alarming drop in student participation. This dissonance risks exacerbating existing skills deficiencies in the creative industries.
Policy makers have the opportunity to catapult one of the UK's fastest-growing sectors, the creative industries, to new heights by revisiting their approach to creative education. To do so, the sector needs sweeping, long-term creative skills strategies to boost access and provision, while raising the bar on learner outcomes and diversity.
Remember to join us on July 17, 2023, at RSA House, London, or online at 3 pm BST, for the launch event of this intriguing report.
Related State of the Nations Posts
- International, Trade, and Immigration: Migration in UK Creative Occupations and Industries
- Arts, Culture, and Heritage: Recent Trends in UK Workforce and Engagement in England
- Arts, Culture, and Heritage: Higher Education and the Arts and Culture Sectors
- Education, Skills, Talent: Skills Mismatches in the UK's Creative Industries
- Business Models and Access to Finance: Foreign Direct Investment in the UK’s Creative Industries
- R&D, Innovation, and Clusters: Growth Finance for Creative Industries
- Education, Skills, Talent: Creative Further Education in the four UK nations
- Arts, Culture, and Heritage: Audiences and Workforce
- International, Trade, and Immigration: UK Trade in the Global Creative Economy
- Geography of the Creative Industries: Geographies of Creativity
Authors
- Heather Carey, Director of Work Advance
- Lesley Giles, Director of Work Advance
Factors driving the decline in creative further education:1. Demographic changes2. Changing perceptions of value3. Restrictive immigration and international student policies4. Funding and political uncertainty5. Digital and technological disruption
Potential consequences for the creative industries:1. Talent pipeline shortages2. Reduced innovation and competitiveness3. Industry adaptation challenges4. Economic repercussions5. Loss of cultural vibrancy
- The decline in creative further education poses a significant threat to the UK's creative industries, as evidenced by the report titled "Creative Contours: A State of the Creative Education in the United Kingdom."
- The report, the fourth in the State of the Nations series, reveals a disconcerting drop in student participation in creative fields across the UK's four constituent nations.
- Prepared by education experts at Work Advance, the report is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) via the Creative PEC.
- Key findings include a faster decrease in students opting for creative subjects for further education in all parts of the UK compared to overall subject preference averages.
- For instance, in England, there's a 57% decrease from 2014/15 to 2022/23 compared to a 31% overall decline, while in Wales, enrolments in creative learning dropped by 68% from 2012/13 to 2022/23.
- The report suggests that this disparity between the sector's growth and the decline in student participation risks exacerbating existing skills deficiencies in the creative industries.
- To address this, policy makers are urged to revisit their approach to creative education, implementing long-term creative skills strategies to boost access and provision, while raising the bar on learner outcomes and diversity.
- The authors, Heather Carey and Lesley Giles of Work Advance, attribute the decline in creative further education to factors such as demographic changes, changing perceptions of value, restrictive immigration and international student policies, funding and political uncertainty, and digital and technological disruption.
