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University Alliance and Creative UK publish letter about the importance of creative courses in HE

(Originally published in The Telegraph on 13/12/21)

Together with Creative UK, University Alliance published a letter in the Telegraph, urging government to enact a fair value assessment of creative courses in Higher Education, before making any funding decisions. The letter was signed by over 90 people, significant individuals from the worlds of music, government, business, education and more. See the full letter and list of signatories below:

As government prepares to announce its plans for post 18 education funding, it is crucial that Ministers do not limit access to skills essential to the UK’s economic success.

We fully endorse the government’s drive to deliver high quality provision and strong value for students and tax-payers in higher education. Robust value assessment of all disciplines, including creative, is therefore vital before any funding decisions are made. Proceeding without a fair assessment risks significantly disadvantaging the next generation of essential creative workers.

Economic modelling commissioned by Creative UK revealed that our creative industries alone have the potential to create 300,000 new jobs and generate an extra £28bn for the UK economy by 2025. Creative roles now make up a significant proportion of the government’s Shortage Occupation List and the demand for creative skills across all industries is acute.

Creative education is therefore essential not only to sustain and grow the talent pipeline for our world-leading creative industries, but also to furnish the future workforce with high-level skills needed by businesses in every sector, and to support UK growth and innovation.

Government has an opportunity to locate a bigger creative economy at the heart of efforts to build back better and realise the vision for Global Britain. We look forward to working in partnership to achieve these goals.

Signed by

Deborah Annetts                             CEO, Incorporated Society of Musicians

Lord David Blunkett                       Former Education Secretary

Lord Paul Boateng                          Former British High Commissioner to South Africa

and Chancellor of University of Greenwich

Sandra Booth                                   Director, Policy and External Relations, CHEAD

Belinda Budge                                  Designer/Maker BudgeBudge

Baroness Deborah Bull                  Dancer, writer, and broadcaster

Dr Ben Calvert                                 Vice Chancellor, University of South Wales

Margaret Casely-Hayford              Chair, Shakespeare’s Globe; Chancellor Coventry University

Phil Castang                                     Chair, Music Education Council

Dr Maria Balshaw CBE                   Director, Tate; Chair, National Museums Directors’ Council

Dinah Caine CBE                             Chair of Council, Goldsmiths

Jude Kelly CBE                                 Founder, Women of the World

Ian Livingstone CBE                        Chair, Sumo Group

Nicola Mendelsohn CBE                VP Global Business Group, Meta

Tamara Rojo CBE                            Artistic Director and Lead Principal Dancer, English National Ballet

Caroline Rush CBE                          CEO, British Fashion Council

Russ Shaw CBE                                Founder, Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates

Olivia Chatten                                  Master of the Guild of Media Arts, York

Hannah Chukwu                              Editor, Penguin Random House UK

Tamara Cincik                                  Founder & CEO, Fashion Roundtable

Jamie Coleman                                Founder, Codebase

Dr Mya-Rose Craig                          Founder and President, Black2Nature

Professor Paul Croney                    Vice Chancellor, Teesside University

Julian David                                      CEO, techUK

John Dickie                                       CEO, London First

Pardeep Duggal                                Digital Transformation Leader

Matthew Fell                                     Director of Policy, CBI

Craig Fenton                                     Author   (signed in a personal capacity)

Professor Alistair Fitt                      Vice Chancellor, Oxford Brookes University

Catharine Des Forges                     Director, Independent Cinema Office

Lizzie Glithero-West FSA               Chief Executive, The Heritage Alliance

David Gilmour                                  Musician and songwriter (Pink Floyd)

Fiona Goh                                         Director, British Arts Festivals Association

Professor Paul Gough                    Vice Chancellor, Arts University Bournemouth; Chair UKADIA

Jefferson Hack                                 CEO and Co-Founder, Dazed Media

Professor Jane Harrington            Vice Chancellor, University of Greenwich

Andy Harrower                                CEO, Directors UK

Neil Hatton                                       CEO, UK Screen Alliance

Rick Haythornthwaite                     Chair, Ocado; Chair, The AA; Chair, Creative UK

Rachel Hewitt                                  Chief Executive, MillionPlus

David Heyman                                 Film Producer (Harry Potter Series; Gravity; Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Professor Debra Humphris           Chair of University Alliance, Vice Chancellor of University of Brighton

Marie-Claire Isaaman                    CEO, Women in Games

Peter James                                      No.1 Bestselling author

Alistair Jarvis                                    CEO, Universities UK

Jo Johnson                                        Chair, Access Creative College

Professor John Latham                  Vice Chancellor, Coventry University

Stephen Lotinga                              CEO, Publishers Association

Adam Mansell                                  CEO, UK Fashion & Textile Association

Janet Markwick                               Markwick Consulting

David Martin                                    CEO, Featured Artists Coalition

Paul Appleby MBE                          Adviser, Bristol Creative Industries

Terry Croft MBE                              Chair and CEO, Institute of Science and Technology

Andrew Hurst MBE                         CEO, One Dance UK

Millie Kendall MBE                         CEO, British Beauty Council

Caroline Norbury MBE                   CEO, Creative UK

Professor Quintin McKellar          Vice Chancellor, University of Hertfordshire

Gordon McKenzie                           CEO, GuildHE

Minnie Moll                                      CEO, Design Council

Dr Rhys Morgan                              Director of Engineering and Education, Royal Academy of Engineering

Dame Margaret Hodge MP           Former Universities Minister and former Chair, PAC

Jamie Njoku-Goodwin                   CEO, UK Music

Professor Frances Corner OBE    Warden, Goldsmiths, University of London

Rosy Greenlees OBE                       Executive Director, Crafts Council

Andy Payne OBE                             Chair, British Esports Association

Dr Jo Twist OBE                              CEO, Ukie

Kate O’Connor                                 Executive Chair, Animation UK

Paula Orrell,                                     Director, Contemporary Visual Arts Network England

Ellie Peers                                         General Secretary, Writers Guild of Great Britain

Dave Penrith                                     Director, Capital Engineering Limited

Danny Perkins                                  Founder, Elysian Film Group

Carl Peter-Forster                            Chairman Chemring Plc, NED Babcock Plc

Professor Philip Plowden               Vice Chancellor, Birmingham City University

Suzi Quattro                                      Singer/Songwriter

Neil Rami                                           CEO, West Midlands Growth Company

Lindsey Rendall                                President, British Institute of Interior Design

Mykaell Riley                                    Music producer & academic

Jeremy Silver                                    CEO, Digital Catapult

Skin                                                     Musician (Skunk Anansie)

Professor Peter Slee                        Vice Chancellor, Leeds Beckett University

Edward Snape                                  Chair, League of Independent Producers

Andrea Stark                                    Former Director of Employment, Skills and Culture, Islington Council

Chloe Straw                                      Managing Director, Audio UK

Geoff Taylor                                     CEO, BPI, BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize

Dr Paul Thompson                          Vice Chancellor, Royal College of Art

Mandy Ure                                       Dean, Kingston School of Art

Fabian Wagner                                Cinematographer

Professor Andrew Wathey            Vice Chancellor and CEO, Northumbria University

Professor Roderick Watkins         Vice Chancellor, Anglia Ruskin University

Professor Steve West                      Vice Chancellor of UWE Bristol

Stephen Woodford                          CEO, Advertising Association

Rt Hon Baroness Estelle
Morris of Yardley                             Former Education Secretary

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