Leading figures in the arts, including actors Samuel West and Paapa Essiedu, have raised alarm over a financial crisis facing drama schools in England, warning it could reverse progress in diversifying access to the performing arts. The warning follows the announcement by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (BOVTS) that it will close all undergraduate courses from September, citing capped tuition fees, visa restrictions, and rising costs.
BOVTS, whose alumni include Olivia Colman, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Patrick Stewart, will continue postgraduate courses but has blamed the decision on a combination of frozen top-up funding, cuts to grants, and increased living and teaching costs. The school said the undergraduate programme, which allows students to access loans, is no longer financially viable.
Samuel West, a trustee for the Campaign for the Arts, described the loss as a blow to cultural life, stating that such courses provide life-changing opportunities and are the bedrock of the nation's cultural output. Paapa Essiedu, a Guildhall graduate, expressed sadness at the closure, praising the detailed training BOVTS offered.
The crisis extends beyond Bristol. Rose Bruford College, whose alumni include Jessica Gunning, took in nearly 300 students after the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts closed in 2022. The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama has opened a voluntary redundancy programme to cut costs. Professor Randall Whittaker of Rose Bruford warned that the sector risks becoming less inclusive, reversing years of progress in widening participation.
Drama schools have been particularly affected by the previous government's shift in funding towards STEM subjects. The top-up grant for creative arts courses was frozen at £16.7m in 2024-25, a real-terms cut from £36m in 2020-21. Higher education experts have described the situation as a potential 'national catastrophe', with fears that training may once again become the preserve of the wealthy.
