I’m fed up of the arts being sidelined

I recently heard that my old dance teacher from school is looking for past students to make videos stating how dance positively affected them. While this is in theory a lovely exercise, its necessity comes with sadness; the powers that be (whether this is on a local or national level this time I’m not sure) are threatening to cut dance from the curriculum. This seems like a bit of a ridiculous move to me, as the school sells itself on its specialism in the performing arts.

These threats are nothing new, but they still frustrate me. Even though I didn’t pursue a career in dance, my GCSE and A-levels in the subject were simultaneously my most challenging and most rewarding, and I built unique friendships and experiences which were a vital part of my personal development, and that I look back on fondly to this day.

I went on to dance throughout university, and I hope to take it up again in the future. For me, as a hobby outside my studies, it was a vital physical and emotional release, a way to put aside the day, and connect with other people who I might not otherwise have met. While still demanding even as a hobby, and at times an extra source of stress, it was also the reason for my sanity. Having a creative and active outlet is so important to me, and I wouldn’t have had the same opportunity to create and build on this passion without my earlier performing arts education.

This low-level silencing of the arts at the level of education is a symptom of a bigger problem. Throughout the coronavirus crisis, the arts have not received the same level of consideration as other industries, despite their many protests and cries for help. This silence is ironic to me, as without the arts, many of us (myself included) might not have come out of lockdown with even a tiny bit of our mental health intact. Think about the sheer amount of music, films, books, articles, podcasts, TV series, and even streamed theatre shows, we all consumed during the initial height of the pandemic.

While the arts is seen by many as an unnecessary luxury, it is clearly and historically vital to our cultural and social survival. Those who have careers in the arts construct their livelihood around this industry, which is viewed in a fickle light by those who consider it an optional bonus in their busy lives. There is a new imbalance where people are living to entertain those who are unwilling to bail them out when they need it most.

Have we as a society become so obsessed with economics and productivity that we can no longer see the value of things that we consume simply for the sake of enjoying and appreciating them? Are we now too busy to measure the value that these outlets add to our lives? Even if we do focus on the economics of it, the arts industry brings in an estimated £10.8 billion a year to the UK economy (that’s about 10 times as much as the royal family, for reference).

The arts is at risk of being so taken for granted in the value it adds to our lives that it might disappear altogether. We must look past our tendency to value only productivity and financial revenue and see the arts for what it is: a vital and valuable part of the world we live in. The world would be a very dark place without it. Enjoyment is value, and the creative industry is our main provider.

Originally published at https://ncdickinson4.wixsite.com on October 24, 2020.