Vote Bob
Date uploaded: February 9, 2015
Artist Bob and Roberta Smith will be standing in the Surrey Heath constituency against Michael Gove in 2015 General Election. Since announcing his intention, he has received a surprising amount of support, and despite being advised that the economy, the NHS, housing and immigration might figure ahead of the arts in voters’ thinking, he insists that "art is central to how we live".
In his article published in the Guardian he states;
"The remarks made by Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, last month about “the arts holding kids back” seemed far more kneejerk than anything her predecessor Michael Gove said on creative education. But it was Gove who paved the way to erode confidence in the arts, and he remains the inspiration for my effort to better advocate the arts to government. This is why I intend to stand as an independent candidate in Surrey Heath, the constituency for which Gove is currently a member of parliament, in next year’s general election."
"In terms of money, the arts return £4 to the economy for every £1 of public investment. The government’s own website states that the creative industries contribute £71.4bn to the economy or £8m an hour. With regards to the NHS, there has been extensive research into the mental wellbeing gained from engagement from the arts. Good housing is all about design – everything from your car to your carpet has been designed by human beings armed with nothing more than blank sheets of paper and pencils. The arts are about starting a conversation. Whereas government restrictions on immigration slow down and stifle touring productions, migration contributes to our culture and makes the arts stronger. It is also true that in a time of difficulty, culture can bring hope."
"Gove has confused subjects with standards. You can teach any subject to a high standard and although I agree with him about the importance of mathematics, beyond that I believe children should be free to choose for themselves. At present, pupils selecting their GCSEs have to deal with a complex Chinese puzzle of competing subjects, where arts are discriminated against. It’s almost impossible for kids to study art and music together, let alone dance or drama as well. This is worrying for British culture and Britain’s long-term reputation for being a great place to make, teach and experience the arts."
Bob's manifesto will argue that:
- No school should be allowed to offer a curriculum without art, music, drama, dance and design at GCSE and A-level.
- Ofsted must include arts subjects as part of its assessment of schools. No school can possibly be considered “outstanding” unless it offers art, music, drama, dance and design.
- All children must study at least one arts subject at GCSE.
- Postgraduate training for art teachers should be enriched, not eroded.
- All primary-level teachers must be trained in art, craft and music.
- “Artist educators” should be supported – that is, professional artists who teach while also developing their own art practice.
For the full story and more details of the campaign click here.
