Oddbean new post about login | logout There's an interesting piece in the Observer about the decline of regional Art Schools (not yet online), which makes the case that one of he reasons for the increasingly middle class (privileged) character of our culture & arts is the result of these local institutions decline, as their student body was mostly drawn from less privileged social groupings.... it makes sense, as the increasing move to art at #universities raised the costs of experimenting with your creativity as a young person.
@43d7c4ea Michael Sheen is brilliant on how he had a 'pipeline' to go from a Welsh mining town to RADA - inspirational teaching at a comprehensive and well funded arts programme. Plus a little luck going to the town that created Richard Burton and Antony Hopkins which supercharged local willingness. Gutted by Thatcher, fees, etc. His ladder was taken down behind him.
@43d7c4ea closing those schools doesn't help universities either because if students don't have the opportunity to develop their skills at low cost, then that leaves us with a much smaller pool of potential applicants to our arts departments
@43d7c4ea Interesting. Art, music and dance have always had wealthy patrons. Few hourly wage earners buy ballet tickets. Trade schools taught graphic arts in the US along w/welding, machine tools, plumbing, etc 60 years ago. Community colleges still offer those & State universities offer various fields for a BFA degree. Private colleges had artists in residence as teachers & the 2-3x cost was a class based filter.