The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

for 16—19 year olds (DBS, 1980). We believe that the listedaims apply equally to the arts as to other prospective careersand that it should now be part of the policy and practice ofall such schemes to make adequate provision for this. Inparticular we would hope that the Manpower Services Commission,the Training Services Agency and their relatedschemes would begin to broaden their definition of trainingto include provision for careers in the arts.233 New Certain sections of our society are under particular difficultiesopportunities in taking up careers in the arts and we would welcome widerrecognition of this. In the performing arts, especially musicand dance, a good deal of preparatory work is needed, anda certain level of technical competence assumed beforebeing accepted on vocational courses. Because schoolscannot be generally expected to provide specialist preparation,would-be professionals are usually obliged to seek privatetuition. This can be costly and often beyond the reach ofthose in the lower economic groups. The result is an economicfilter on entry into the professional arts. Many otheryoung people discount a career in the arts for other reasons.This is not necessarily because of lack of ability. NaseemKhan in The Arts Britain Ignores (1976) comments on thevocational expectations of those from different economicand social groups:'West Indians . .. have the problems engendered by lowsocial status. Countless reports have shown them at thebottom of the ladder — in employment, education, housing.English community arts has received its impetus from theyoung middle-classes who not only have the confidence tomanipulate structures and use facilities but can also settheir faces against materialistic success.' (Khan, 1976)She sees two areas in need of encouragement: the creationof more opportunities at a working level, and the emergenceof artists and groups from ethnic minorities in the top rankof the professional arts. For this to happen both the socialand economic obstacles in the way of young, potential performershave to be reduced.234 The A different approach to identifying and developing individualWeekend abilities is that of Inter-Action's Weekend Arts CollegeArts(WAC) initiated by two local dance and drama teachers atCollege the Inter-Action Centre in Kentish Town, London. Thescheme developed from a request from a teacher for helpin providing training for a talented young dancer. This hasled to a range of courses in the performing arts being held137