Breaking the spell: HE and the screen industries in the UK

The prominence of the creative industries in the UK government’s industrial strategy as one of eight growth sectors to be prioritised will be welcomed by most of us involved in screen education. It is as yet unclear, however, how the proclaimed undertaking to develop an appropriately skilled workforce will manifest itself. The DCMS select committee report on British films and high-end television published in April this year calls for ‘closer alignment between what is offered in formal education settings and the production sector’s needs’ (para 123), citing evidence that degree programmes ae not training students for the jobs that need doing, leaving talented young people unprepared for careers in these industries – a deficit attributed to a lack of coordination across the HE sector and a lack of connection between education and industry. These are not new charges, neither are they beyond dispute, but they raise the question of how Universities should respond to the challenge.