AUTUMN | FEATURE and really explore this ; why are things as they are and what might it be possible to change . Unfortunately , there ’ s not a quick fix , but there is a lot of will within the festival industry to improve and it does seem like things are gradually moving forward .”
WRD on the street TheWRD , a pre-degree diploma in creative entrepreneurship , was launched last year by independent trade body for songwriters and composers The Ivors Academy in partnership with creative talent development agency Generator . It is part of an ambitious plan to help 10,000 students over the next ten years to develop their careers and creative projects . It includes entrepreneurial modules and sessions on areas including marketing , live events and touring .
The initiative is being overseen by chief education and learning officer Howard Monk , whose wealth of lecturing experience includes the BIMM Institute , University of Creative Arts and University of Southampton .
“ We want to break down the barriers people face when trying to develop their creative ambitions ,” he says . “ Too many people of all ages are ruling themselves out of a career in the music industry due to financial constraints , geographical location , or simply not feeling like this is for them . Art and culture are for everyone , and as a sector , we could do much better to represent the society it serves .” A survey , commissioned by TheWRD , found that of some 500 respondents aged 19-29 who said they were interested in a career in music , more than 70 % felt that starting a career in the industry would be difficult , citing barriers such as not having contacts , it being too much
Howard Monk
of a financial risk , there being a lack of opportunities , and the industry not being open to people from their background .
When asked about the barriers young people faced in accessing further education , almost 50 % of those surveyed felt they were unable to afford it , with one in four saying they do not have access to courses near where they live . Only 7 % of respondents felt they did not face any barriers .
Monk says TheWRD does not promise people jobs , but it does promise students to get “ into the room ” and ensure they have
the knowledge and confidence to represent themselves in a positive way .
There is state funding available for students but for those who are not eligible and who are unable to fund themselves , there is the option of applying for a bursary from TheWRD ’ s network of partners that includes Amazon Music , UK Music and PRS for Music .
Of TheWRD ’ s ten-year plan , Monk says , “ At first this seemed quite ambitious but with this plan of having just one course broken into smaller pieces , students can undertake kickstarter courses right up to the full two to three-year Access to Higher Education Diploma course , which is fully validated and carries UCAS points to help them go on to study at university .”
TheWRD sponsored the AIF Festival Congress this year , and events including End of the Road Festival ( 10,000 ) have opened their doors to its students .
Monk says the Panic ! It ’ s an Arts Emergency report from 2018 made it abundantly clear that the arts and creative sectors can do so much more to diversify : “ We pride ourselves on the diversity of the folks performing on the stage , but it ’ s those people doing the programming , running the companies - the gatekeepers - that don ’ t truly represent a diverse spread .
“ Lack of diversity occurs in many ways , and we ’ re doing our bit to try and help . We have done a lot of fundraising in the music industry and have secured a pot of money with which we can support eligible people , via a scholarship , to study with us . The
“ Too often getting involved in festival production is very much about who you know .”
industry has been incredibly supportive in various ways . Amazon , TikTok , and others have helped enormously with access , finance and ideas .
“ Change is starting to happen . There is a societal , economic reason why certain groups don ’ t feel any kind of ownership of , or kinship with , the events and festival sector , and the wider creative sector . We would like to do more to change that .”
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