Are we training too many artists or too few?

 Convener(s): Jen Lunn

Participants: Michael Twaits, Rikki Tarascas

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

Question arose over the concern that there has been a growth in non accredited drama schools and arts degrees/courses that are pumping out graduates expecting work and that the standard is falling.

We fear that we are producing too many artists who consider themselves trained and worthy of work – and too few who are actually well trained.

The problem with Accreditation…

So many more courses are now getting accreditation in order to remain viable in the business world. However, in order to get accredited schools are often broadening their courses and losing the truly vocational training in order that students work be quantifiable and markable. Consequently we are ending up with a generation of graduates who haven’t had enough hands on actual theatre making experience and who also haven’t been given the opportunities to fail that we all need to become artists.

We did agree that it must be of benefit to society that more and more non-artists are coming from an arts background/training. It is heartening that the people selling us our houses or teaching our children may have theatre degrees.

But – if we are moving further towards a liberal arts education then do we need to establish another level of training that is more about producing artists who will work in the arts.

WE NEED….

More vocational training not hampered by the need to be quantified and graded.

More mentoring possibilities.

An understanding that an arts degree is not necessarily enough to qualify you to work in theatre!