The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) announced earlier this April that it was to close for good. It cited that the school was no longer “financially viable” as the reasons for its closure.
Starting in 1979, ALRA had campuses in Wigan and Wandsworth, south London, but even after a number of strategies to stablise its viability, to include a restructuring, the establishement couldn’t be saved.
Priding himself in working with young and upcoming theatre talent, Greenwich Theatre’s James Haddrell had much to say about the closure of the school and he added further insights into the role that government policy (or the lack thereof) shapes UK arts eduction.
In the South London Press James said;
“…Events this month at ALRA prove, if nothing else, that things have to change in UK drama schools, but while the schools must look to identify and address their own issues with full transparency, government policy around arts education must change too.”
“The battle between arts and sciences for funds, the proposal of minimum academic requirements for access to higher education which will limit access, competition rather than collaboration across the country – all have to be addressed if our world-leading arts scene is to survive.”
Read the full South London Press article here