According to the Campaign for the Arts, since 2011, there has been an alarming 23% reduction in the number of hours dedicated to the arts across state-funded secondary schools in the UK. Arts-related subjects now constitute only a small segment of GCSEs and A-level entries. Students have been discouraged owing to lack of support, as well as limitations to the curriculum or extracurricular activities.

This is not an isolated phenomenon, but a reflection of a wider structural problem. From music venues to independent cinemas to literary festivals and local libraries, many people across the arts and cultural scene are struggling enormously, and silently, feeling alone.