ARTS FUNDING CUTS WILL HIT LOWER INCOME FAMILIES HARDEST, SAYS UTU

Cuts to arts funding could have serious ramifications for lower income families, according to Avril Hall Callaghan, General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers’ Union.

“For many children from families with limited income, school is the only opportunity they have to experience the arts, often through workshops or theatre visits supported by outside arts bodies,” she said.

“However, if their budgets are cut our fear is that such programmes will be parked and these children will lose this valuable experience in their education, something which they can draw on even in later life..

“Funding for programmes like this have always been about engaging people who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to experience the arts in whatever form. It seems such opportunities may now be few and far between for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Ms Hall Callaghan said the impact of such a loss to schools would be felt across the curriculum – not just in the areas immediately affected, like art, theatre or dance.

“When outside experts are brought in to work with children these aren’t just one-off projects – the aim is to influence learning right across the curriculum so that creativity can be the heart of the pupils’ experience,” she said.

“A recent study on the economic and social impact of arts projects working with schools in England found that for every £1 invested, such programmes could deliver £15.30 of benefit to the national economy, generating around £4bn.

“While previous research from the National Foundation for Educational Research found that young people involved in such activities were making, on average, the equivalent of 2.5 grades better progress in GCSE.

“There’s no reason to assume that the benefits here in Northern Ireland would be any different, which is why we fear that the impact of such cuts would be felt by children from those families least able to counter them.”