How many of the young people who attended Reading and Leeds festival or a Prom this summer will be picking up a guitar or clarinet when they return to school? New figures suggest not many. The number of students taking A-level music is at a record low: under 5,000, a drop of nearly half from 15 years ago.
Music GCSE entries have also fallen. It has the widest attainment gap for disadvantaged students of any subject. Private violin lessons are beyond the purse strings of most parents.
The statistics for drama are similarly bleak. A-level drama entries have almost halved in 10 years, with by far the biggest drop in state schools. Forty per cent of state schools no longer even offer music or drama GCSEs.
Leading universities have been forced to close music departments and arts courses. The number of teachers training in creative subjects has also declined sharply over the past 15 years. It is no coincidence that the Ebacc, which prioritised core academic subjects at the expense of the arts, was introduced by the Conservatives in 2010.
No wonder the worlds of music, theatre and television have become so privileged. Exceptions such as Adele, Raye and Olivia Dean are all alumni of the Brit school, the only state-funded vocational school for the performing arts in the UK. Its 600 signatories included Elton John, Harry Styles and Stormzy.
Alison Balsom, the world-class classical trumpeter, has said that her career would not be possible for a state-school pupil now. Julie Walters and Michael Sheen have spoken out about the challenges facing children from working-class backgrounds hoping to become actors. Sir Keir Starmer was hailed as the most musically accomplished prime minister since Ted Heath, playing four instruments as a child and becoming a junior exhibitioner at the Guildhall School of Music.
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