Letter Supporting Creative Higher Education

Published in The Daily Telegraph

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

Paul Appleby MBE
Adviser, Bristol Creative Industries

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

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

Phil Castang
Chair, Music Education Council

Dr Ben Calvert
Vice Chancellor, University of South Wales

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

Dinah Caine CBE
Chair of Council, Goldsmiths

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

Professor Frances Corner OBE
Warden, Goldsmiths, University of London

Dr Mya-Rose Craig
Founder and President, Black2Nature

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

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

Rosy Greenlees OBE
Executive Director, Crafts Council

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)

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

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

Andrew Hurst MBE
CEO, One Dance UK

Marie-Claire Isaaman
CEO, Women in Games

Peter James
No.1 Bestselling author

Alistair Jarvis
CEO, Universities UK

Jo Johnson
Chair, Access Creative College

Jude Kelly CBE
Founder, Women of the World

Millie Kendall MBE
CEO, British Beauty Council

Professor John Latham
Vice Chancellor, Coventry University

Ian Livingstone CBE
Chair, Sumo Group

Stephen Lotinga
CEO, Publishers Association

Adam Mansell
CEO, UK Fashion & Textile Association

Janet Markwick
Markwick Consulting

David Martin
CEO, Featured Artists Coalition

Professor Quintin McKellar
Vice Chancellor, University of Hertfordshire

Gordon McKenzie
CEO, GuildHE

Nicola Mendelsohn CBE
VP Global Business Group, Meta

Sarah Munro
Director, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Arts and Chair of CVAN

Minnie Moll
CEO, Design Council

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

Caroline Norbury MBE
CEO, Creative UK

Jamie Njoku-Goodwin
CEO, UK Music

Kate O’Connor
Executive Chair, Animation UK

Paula Orrell
Director, Contemporary Visual Arts Network England

Andy Payne OBE
Chair, British Esports Association

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

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

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

Dr Jo Twist OBE
CEO, Ukie

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