Youth arts cuts in Wales

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff plans to cut its programme for young people. Young RWCMD is the only such provision in Wales.

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) has announced the outcome of its consultation on proposals to cease its regular weekend Young RWCMD sessions from the end of this academic year, with over 100 staff included in the consultation.

Opportunity

The college has provided a junior music and acting programme to students aged from 4 to 18 for the past 25 years. Around 300 talented young people pass through its doors each weekend, many on bursaries for whom it’s a rare opportunity.

The loss of such a programme would be damaging not only to the young musicians and actors denied the experience but also their teachers, the wider artistic community and the public who might see them perform.

“Difficult decision”

Unsurprisingly, given the usual outcome of similar consultations, the decision was to go ahead with the original proposal. The college said, of course, that it was a “difficult decision” to end its youth activity, citing “significant financial challenges”.

Staff working at Young RWCMD started a Senedd petition calling for the protection of the Young Acting and Young Music programmes. The petition has passed the 10,000 signatures necessary for it to be considered for a debate in the Senedd – in September at the earliest. But expectations will be low as the Senedd does not have a track record in supporting petitions.

“This is terrible news for the young people and musicians affected.”

The Musicians’ Union is also calling for the protection of the Young RWCMD programme, saying “The proposals are terrible news for the young people and musicians affected, who will lose important tuition and work. While we understand the difficulties that organisations like RWCMD face, more time must be spent exploring and discussing alternatives.”

No other provision

“If this closure goes ahead then RWCMD will be the only conservatoire in Britain without a junior department, with no other equivalent provision in Wales at a time when progress is being made on rebuilding music education through the National Music Service Wales.”

“We also appreciate the College’s desire to explore alternative models of activity, but this does not change the fact that our members will be losing work as a result of these proposals.”