to Education

The ISM’s #SaveOurSubjects arts education campaign has got off to a flying start, with over 650 signatures on our open letter to Gillian Keegan MP, the Secretary of State for Education.

The campaign highlights the devastating decline of music and other arts subjects at GCSE level It focuses on the impact of the secondary accountability measure Progress 8, which is heavily skewed towards English Baccalaureate subjects and has devalued arts subjects.

The open letter calls for the minister to adopt the recommendations of the campaign: for the government to review school accountability measures, reform Progress 8 and deliver the £90 million Arts Premium for schools promised in the Conservatives’ 2019 election manifesto.

Add your signature to the letter and find out more about how to support the campaign at: saveoursubjects.org

Discrimination in the music sector

ISM Chief Executive Deb orah Annetts appeared in Parliament on 19 April to give evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee.

Speaking as a witness to the committee’s inquiry into Misogyny in Music, Deborah said that discrimination is getting worse in the sector and compared figures from the ISM’s 2022 Dignity at work 2 report with our 2018 Dignity at work report, which showed discrimination had risen from around 47% of respondents to 66%, and non-reporting of discrimination had increased.

Deborah also raised concerns about the effectiveness of the proposed Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), saying that it lacks teeth due to its nonstatutory status: ‘The most it can do is name and shame, and that is not enough.’ She called for legislative change to make the music industry a safer place for women. The inquiry is part of the committee’s work into preventing violence against women and girls.