The ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of drama school intakes has slowly improved since 2016, but there’s still a long way to go, according to a new report by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.
Centre Stage 2021 reports on the progress made on diversity by 15 leading UK drama schools and how they have addressed the need to build a more diverse and inclusive intake, which was highlighted in the Centre Stage 2016 report.
On average, the proportion of the student intake from diverse backgrounds grew from 14% in 2016 to 21.5% in the 2019/20 academic year, but in some student cohorts the figure was lower than 10%.
The target of 50% of places to be funded by scholarships and bursaries was achieved by only three of the 15 drama schools , and although only 60% had appointed diverse candidates into management and academic roles, there remain few people of colour in these positions.
The key drivers for the improvement in student numbers were fee waivers for applicants from the poorest backgrounds; regional auditions to reduce attendance costs; and investment in partnerships with state schools to challenge perceptions about inclusivity in the theatre.
The report raises concerns that fragile diversity initiatives already in place could fall victim to perilous situation the sector will be in as it recovers from the pandemic, as donor organisations divert their money to other causes.