Hear, hear to Paul Harman for his timely article about the scope and quality of theatre for children in the UK (AP204). I have long felt that the passion and conviction that radiates from arts professionals is not equitably matched elsewhere. In too many schools there are too many reasons not to book a theatre trip: administration; asking parents for financial contributions; applicability to the National Curriculum (agh!); health and safety; and now, the government ‘rarely cover’ ruling that necessitates buying in costly supply cover. Venue staff can and do chip away at some of these obstacles by assisting with travel arrangements, subsidies and risk assessments, but we cannot do the teachers’ jobs for them. If a young person comes to the theatre it is thanks to the insight and dedication of an exceptional teacher. This is just too random. Did I misunderstand something? I thought Every Child Mattered?
The Government can throw money at an eye-catching but feckless scheme (cf A Night Less Ordinary) which may seduce us into thinking that they are dedicated to access for all. The fuzzy thinking behind ‘rarely cover’ suggests an inconsistent level of commitment to cultural activity for schoolchildren during school hours which, for many, may be their only opportunity to visit a cultural setting. They may like what they see, they may not. But deny them the opportunity to ever find out and you are
robbing a whole generation of a fundamental human experience.