Bichard: 'time to worship creativity'

The government worships the "twin towers of science and technology" and is neglecting the creative arts in the economy of the future, according to a former Whitehall education official.

Michael Bichard, rector of the London Institute and previously permanent secretary of the then Department for Education and Employment, told a conference last week that last year's green paper on culture and creativity ignored the role of universities.

"It's almost as if we are not quite sure that this is as important as other government priorities and therefore doesn't justify this kind of infrastructure," he said.

Sir Michael spoke at a QMW public policy seminar at Queen Mary, University of London. Culture minister Tessa Jowell was among the other speakers.

The day after the conference, Ms Jowell announced that Sir Michael would head a task force to monitor the progress of the green paper published by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, with the aim of freeing "the creative potential of individuals" through education, excellence and access.

But Sir Michael said the paper failed to link further and higher education into the process.

"We seem for sometime to have acknowledged the key part which HE and research can play in the growth of the science and technology sector, and government has been prepared to support that. So why not provide some help to the new creative industries at a national level, perhaps via matched funding for scholarship awards and business or endowments," he said.

He said the Creative Partnerships scheme, which proposed linking children and teachers with creative professionals, ignored higher education where they should be encouraged to further their interest. He said that higher education should be the hub of a network of schools, colleges, summer schools and teacher training.

Sir Michael said the London Institute had set up a Centre for Fashion Enterprise, but its grant of £200,000 over three years from the Higher Education Funding Council for England was "derisory".

At a regional level, he proposed more partnerships between further and higher education and the new creative industries, sharing facilities, people and research.

The green paper says that more than 1 million people are employed in the UK's creative industries, generating more than £100 billion a year.