Training sector must unite if it is to effect real change

Earlier this month, the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama hosted the annual Conservatoires UK conference. Conservatoires UK is a consortium of 11 member organisations, all of which train artists and creatives. The aim of the day was to rethink, reaffirm and focus – and, dare I say it, to enjoy each other’s company.

We also gathered to acknowledge the challenges. Our sector is facing the greatest collection of threats in living memory. If we are to overcome them, we must remain united, bold in our discourse and realistic about what lies ahead. We must invite new thinking and we must welcome new voices to these discussions.

So, what were the key takeaways, both for the training sector as well as for the wider industry?

First, what do we mean by ‘conservatoire’? What does it mean to those outside the training sector, especially to the students and creatives we’re seeking to attract? Conservatoires can evoke notions of exclusivity, of conservation. But what are we conserving – and for whom? It is imperative that we are not seen to be the gatekeepers of knowledge and that knowledge is for everyone.

And how can we lobby for a more inclusive exchange of knowledge? We worked hard to embed inclusion across the programme, yet we struggled, as we have so many times before, with securing British Sign Language interpreters due to a lack of interpreters to meet rising demand. In the end, those we did find cancelled. This meant that Jenny Sealey, artistic director of Graeae, who joined us to lead a breakout session, could not take part in the entire conference. I was embarrassed and angry. I worry that if it is so difficult to make a one-day conference accessible, how can we address the wider access and inclusion issues in training? There is still much work to be done.

How do we champion freedom of speech while maintaining care in our spaces? How do we avoid ‘cancel culture’ while remaining vigilant that freedom of speech must be upheld but never confused with the freedom to insult through racist, antisemitic, ableist or violent rhetoric?

I was proud that 40% of our delegates were students, but our students are not a monolith: they are from different communities, circumstances and backgrounds. We must include all these perspectives in our discourse and in finding solutions to sector-wide concerns such as mental health and well-being and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

Among the various discussions, we were reminded of one thing above all else: that together we are stronger, that divided we fall. In the face of ongoing uncertainty, we can effect real change only if we unite as individuals and institutions: our students, staff and governors together.

Now, if we could just get the whole industry – from theatres to festivals, drama teachers to community groups – to come together and speak with one collective voice, we would form one hell of a firewall around our creative industries. The government would have to listen, it would have to hear our concerns. Shall we? Can we? Dare we?