Continuation from previous post. https://sarahmasters.myblog-staging.arts.ac.uk/2023/03/05/uk-professional-standards-framework-and-employability/
A study by Trust for London (2019/2020) shows that Tower Hamlets is the
poorest borough in London, with Newham coming in 3rd, Hackney and
Waltham Forest only slightly further down the list. Tower Hamlets has 39% of
the residents living in poverty with Newham close behind with 36%, with 49% of
the boroughs children living in these conditions. This has made me question,
why are we trying to recruit disadvantaged poverty-stricken youths to apply for
a course that is not designed to help them gain a career, instead get them into
debt? So they can find themselves? This may be an option for students who have
come from a privileged background but not for many locals in East London. Of
course, it is up to the student to decide why they are applying to study a
degree at university. But I feel it is the universities responsibility to be
transparent about what we are delivering. Browsing through the UAL website for
prospective students, I found no mention of the purpose of studying being to
“find yourself” or “explore your own creative practice”. However, I found
countless references to “employment opportunities” “careers” and “industry” at
every turn. Looking at one course that I work alongside, BA Hair, Make up and
Prosthetics for performance as an example. The webpage for the course states in
the title “BA (Hons) Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for Performance teaches the
specialist skills to enter the performance industry working as a make-up /
prosthetics artist as well as hair / wig dresser and maker.” This clearly
implies to prospective students that we are giving them the skills for a
career, when in reality we are not. Most of the graduates are struggling to
find work in industry due to skill gaps, skills that were once taught on the
course but were removed.
Real life experience working together in a professional theatre, with a professional cast was removed several years ago and replaced with the Personal Performance Project. A unit where they now have twice as long, to produce half as much.
Continue to Blog 3. https://sarahmasters.myblog-staging.arts.ac.uk/2023/03/15/uk-professional-standards-framework-and-employability-blog-3/
References.
Trust for London (2023) available at https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/ (Accessed 5/03/23)
LCF course website (2023) available at https://www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/performance-and-design-for-theatre-and-screen/undergraduate/ba-hons-hair-make-up-and-prosthetics-for-performance-lcf
(Accessed 05/03/23)