The arts are a source of pride and should be celebrated

RECENT comments by East Ayrshire Council’s Head of Education Linda McAulay-Griffiths regarding the merits of music in education have forced an apology after a clip went viral online for all the wrong reasons.

The clip was taken from a wider East Ayrshire Council public meeting, which was streamed online and, at the time of the comments being made, audible gasps could be heard.

Upon seeing the original clip I decided to watch the events of the meeting, knowing all too well that things can be taken out of context. However, on a wider view of the whole duration of the meeting I have yet to be convinced that these views were not genuine and point towards a wider social perception as to the merits of the arts.

The power of the arts

I’m sure many of you would rather not think back to the dark times of the spring and summer of 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns were in full effect. Many people were marooned at home, furloughed and caught in a mental state between complete isolation and fear of the unknown. It was during these times perhaps, that the arts were given their most credit amongst society. People were clambering online to view videos of artists performing, to feel connected to something and indeed we should all be proud that the arts as a collective were able to rally round and do so much to help.

It would seem though, for many this has been a short-lived memory. I remember laughing—despite being shocked—at the posters which the UK Government were circulating in the wake of the pandemic as part of an advertisement campaign ordered by PM Rishi Sunak himself in which artists were encouraged to ‘retrain’ in to other fields. One specific poster featured a ballet dancer with the tagline ‘her future career could be in cyber-security.’ Of course such a campaign received widespread condemnation and did not last long.

This culture of dismissing the arts is one I often hear within friend circles such as when musician friends are at family gatherings, that one awkward uncle always without fail asks: ‘Oh so are you still trying to make it with the music thing? Do you not think a proper job would be better?’ Imagine a world where everyone just went to their ‘proper jobs’ where they worked like robots, with no music, poetry, dance to entertain and keep their mental state on an even keel?

Dismissive comments

It is therefore so alarming that a person in the position of ‘Head of Education’ made such callous remarks and not thinking twice as to what she was actually saying. Linda McAulay-Griffiths’ comments were made regarding the construction of the Doon Valley Community Campus project and what it will do for education in the wider area and for future job prospects.

She continued to say that employers in the area are looking for ‘young people on the tools’ who can take up places in apprenticeships. She followed this with: “I’m really thinking about getting the weans right on to the tools. Theres a bit of me, and folk have heard this from me before, I’m no really seeing the point of a wean knocking seven bells out of a glockenspiel, but I will see about a wean knocking seven bells out of tools.” She added: “We need to make sure we are maximising young people’s education.”

The East Ayrshire Head of Education then went on to apologise saying: “I am able to see how such a short clip may be taken as having a negative take on both the curricular positioning of music and its benefits for young people, and I apologise for this.”

Hopefully such disparaging remarks towards the arts in education will remain a thing of the past

Paddy Callaghan is the Operations Manager of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Britain. You can follow him on Twitter: @paddy_box and Instagram: paddy_box and contact him via e-mail at: paddy@comhaltas.co.uk

PIC: CATHERINE KERR