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Post by Dan Dare on Mar 5, 2024 13:40:32 GMT
More proof, if any were needed, of the validity of the equation in the thread title.
The Guardian reports that a ‘study’ by the Runnymede Trust -self-styled as ‘the UK's leading independent race equality think tank’ – has revealed the shocking truth about the ethnicity of ‘named artists’ who feature in the GCSE Arts Examination.
Evidently no less than 91.6% of such artists named in twenty-seven examination papers are white, meaning only 8.4% were from an ethnic minority. Even worse, of that 8.4% less than 3% were of black or South Asian ancestry, with a further 0.5% mixed.
According to Dr Shabna Begum, the interim chief executive of the Runnymede Trust: “With representation comes inspiration, it is imperative that our students are able to see and appreciate diversity in their art classes, and secondary education more widely”
Accordingly, the Runnymede Trust is demanding that the four examination boards who set papers for England increase black and minority representation to 25% for 2025. Two of the four boards have already caved in and agreed.
There doesn’t appear to have been any discussion about whether there are sufficient BME artists of note to fill the quota. That would seem to be quite challenging even for contemporary artists, let alone those of historical importance. www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/05/less-than-3-per-cent-artists-named-gcse-art-exams-black-south-asian-study |
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Post by happyhornet on Mar 5, 2024 14:01:04 GMT
So expecting the arts to rigidly reflect the ethnicity diversity of our society is unrealistic and unfair?
I'll remember that next time I hear someone complaining about too many ethnic minority actors in adverts.
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Post by Dan Dare on Mar 5, 2024 14:06:03 GMT
It's certainly unrealistic but I wouldn't say it's unfair if you believe in such things.
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Post by ratcliff on Mar 5, 2024 14:18:38 GMT
So expecting the arts to rigidly reflect the ethnicity diversity of our society is unrealistic and unfair? I'll remember that next time I hear someone complaining about too many ethnic minority actors in adverts. Certainly is unrealistic and extremely challenging in courses/exam papers on Old Masters /Renaissance /Classical etc artists just how many black artists were contemporaries of Leonardo , Renoir, Turner, Vermeer, Van Dyke , Rembrandt and the like? Surely it should be art for arts' sake , the technique/skills of the artist - not art according to the skin colour of the brush holder? |
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Post by Dan Dare on Mar 5, 2024 14:25:47 GMT
The late Brian Sewell once remarked that there were no women in the first rank of artists. If he had been asked, he would probably have said the same thing about ethnic minorities. |
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Post by happyhornet on Mar 5, 2024 15:03:37 GMT
So expecting the arts to rigidly reflect the ethnicity diversity of our society is unrealistic and unfair? I'll remember that next time I hear someone complaining about too many ethnic minority actors in adverts. Certainly is unrealistic and extremely challenging in courses/exam papers on Old Masters /Renaissance /Classical etc artists just how many black artists were contemporaries of Leonardo , Renoir, Turner, Vermeer, Van Dyke , Rembrandt and the like? Surely it should be art for arts' sake , the technique/skills of the artist - not art according to the skin colour of the brush holder? Is GCSE art confined to Old Masters /Renaissance /Classical etc artists? It's been many, many years since I did mine and I was absolutely hopeless at art. |
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Post by ratcliff on Mar 5, 2024 16:00:13 GMT
Certainly is unrealistic and extremely challenging in courses/exam papers on Old Masters /Renaissance /Classical etc artists just how many black artists were contemporaries of Leonardo , Renoir, Turner, Vermeer, Van Dyke , Rembrandt and the like? Surely it should be art for arts' sake , the technique/skills of the artist - not art according to the skin colour of the brush holder? Is GCSE art confined to Old Masters /Renaissance /Classical etc artists? It's been many, many years since I did mine and I was absolutely hopeless at art. No clue - never did it but a quick google suggests it's art history over the ages with globally recognised artists on the syllabus. Thus basic art history education seems to be targeted on the acknowledged classic 'greats' as I'd expect , if someone, having already studied the masters then wants to specialise in say, tagging , graffiti ,street art or Jamaican murals at a later date they can do so. |
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Post by happyhornet on Mar 5, 2024 16:08:48 GMT
Is GCSE art confined to Old Masters /Renaissance /Classical etc artists? It's been many, many years since I did mine and I was absolutely hopeless at art. No clue - never did it but a quick google suggests it's art history over the ages with globally recognised artists on the syllabus. Thus basic art history education seems to be targeted on the acknowledged classic 'greats' as I'd expect , if someone, having already studied the masters then wants to specialise in say, tagging , graffiti ,street art or Jamaican murals at a later date they can do so. I did a Google search and dug up this: "You will demonstrate skills in composition and design, making appropriate use of colour, line, tone, texture, shape and form, in response to an idea, theme or brief. The use and development of a personal sketchbook will be a crucial part of the course. You will need to explain and critically review your work, through written annotations, as this will form a crucial part of the assessment. Assessment Component 1: Coursework 60% – This consists of a portfolio of selected work from a series of assignments. Component 2: Final Test Exam 40% – You need to produce your own assignment in response to an externally set Exam paper. You will have nine weeks preparatory time and 10 hours of supervised work, conducted under exam conditions. The test will form part of the exhibition which will be assessed both internally by school staff and by a moderator from the AQA board." |
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Post by ratcliff on Mar 5, 2024 16:20:44 GMT
No clue - never did it but a quick google suggests it's art history over the ages with globally recognised artists on the syllabus. Thus basic art history education seems to be targeted on the acknowledged classic 'greats' as I'd expect , if someone, having already studied the masters then wants to specialise in say, tagging , graffiti ,street art or Jamaican murals at a later date they can do so. I did a Google search and dug up this: "You will demonstrate skills in composition and design, making appropriate use of colour, line, tone, texture, shape and form, in response to an idea, theme or brief. The use and development of a personal sketchbook will be a crucial part of the course. You will need to explain and critically review your work, through written annotations, as this will form a crucial part of the assessment. Assessment Component 1: Coursework 60% – This consists of a portfolio of selected work from a series of assignments. Component 2: Final Test Exam 40% – You need to produce your own assignment in response to an externally set Exam paper. You will have nine weeks preparatory time and 10 hours of supervised work, conducted under exam conditions. The test will form part of the exhibition which will be assessed both internally by school staff and by a moderator from the AQA board." That sounds like a practical art and design course , not an art history course like the one I googled www.hartismere.com/EFAHJJYJLM6XQC6N2H.pdf/Art%20history%20GCSE |
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Post by Red Rackham on Mar 5, 2024 16:22:06 GMT
So expecting the arts to rigidly reflect the ethnicity diversity of our society is unrealistic and unfair? I'll remember that next time I hear someone complaining about too many ethnic minority actors in adverts. Too many black and Asian faces on TV - linkOddly enough, no one accused Samia Shah of being a racist. I wonder why... |
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Post by borchester on Mar 5, 2024 16:36:29 GMT
To be fair, success in the GCSE English is less to do with ethnicity and more to do with memorising the York Notes. And since the latter insists that Romeo and Juliet is a love story, then bollocks to the lot of them
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ginnyg2
Full Member
Don't blame me - I voted for someone else.
Posts: 406
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Post by ginnyg2 on Mar 5, 2024 17:19:47 GMT
So expecting the arts to rigidly reflect the ethnicity diversity of our society is unrealistic and unfair? I'll remember that next time I hear someone complaining about too many ethnic minority actors in adverts. Considering that over 80% of people in the UK are white it would not be unreasonable to limit the quota of non-white actors in commercials to around 20-25%. Of course that would be racist. Funny thing, you can have initiatives to increase the number of non-whites, but there is no mechanism in place to impose limits. |
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ginnyg2
Full Member
Don't blame me - I voted for someone else.
Posts: 406
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Post by ginnyg2 on Mar 5, 2024 17:24:34 GMT
So expecting the arts to rigidly reflect the ethnicity diversity of our society is unrealistic and unfair? I'll remember that next time I hear someone complaining about too many ethnic minority actors in adverts. Too many black and Asian faces on TV - linkOddly enough, no one accused Samia Shah of being a racist. I wonder why... Because in the British context coloured people can be prejudiced but not racist, and that's official. (Salford City Council memo.) |
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Post by Red Rackham on Mar 5, 2024 17:32:18 GMT
Too many black and Asian faces on TV - linkOddly enough, no one accused Samia Shah of being a racist. I wonder why... Because in the British context coloured people can be prejudiced but not racist, and that's official. (Salford City Council memo.) Only white people can be racist, lol. Sounds about right. |
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ginnyg2
Full Member
Don't blame me - I voted for someone else.
Posts: 406
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Post by ginnyg2 on Mar 5, 2024 18:03:55 GMT
And indeed it is.
Some years ago we knew a chap who was rather right wing. He used to be involved in some charity work for Salford City Council, where he incurred the wrath of some gnome by saying something they considered to be not permissible - for the want of a better word. He was sent on some sort of diversity training course from which he brought home some documents relating to it. One of these contained the statement "In the British context only white people can be racist. Non-white people can be prejudiced but not racist."
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