“Under plans due to be announced later, universities in England will be forced to limit the number of students they recruit onto underperforming courses.”
“Under plans due to be announced later, universities in England will be forced to limit the number of students they recruit onto underperforming courses.”
Depends whether the “starving artist” chooses this as a life and prioritises their art over material wealth. Many would. After a period when more people from poorer backgrounds could become artists, writers and performers, we’re seeing a return to a very narrow social class monopolising the arts. Just look at how many current well-known actors come from upper-class and privileged backgrounds.
What we do need to be honest about is how the UK has allowed people working checkouts at supermarkets (and across most jobs really) to be paid so little that they may be “starving” and still live with parents.
The richness of all the pop movements that came in rapid succession from the 1950s to the 1980s or 1990s was because kids from any background could break into the scene and be heard. These days it’s mostly rich kids and music is poorer for it.
Yes.
Related is this recent article about how a third of artists living in London can’t pay their rent.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/jul/09/london-creative-core-risk-poverty-visual-artists
I guess a Tory would say “Law of the Jungle” and that artists need to respond to market demand etc.
The music scene has totally changed but I don’t think university places are the culprit. What proportion of the kids that broke in to the scene that you mention went to university?
With one or two exceptions, it’s mostly well-educated Art school or uni students. Certainly most of the “successful” British ones. Working class bands - especially those “manufactured” solo artists or groups - tended to get screwed by their managers and record companies (probably moreso today).