Actors and artists back Labour’s plans to boost the arts in schools

CELEBRITIES such as James Norton, the actor, and Damien Hirst, the artist, have given their backing to Labour plans to increase the teaching of art, music and drama in state schools.

Sir Keir Starmer has enlisted the support of actors, singers and comedians to help him boost the numbers of “working class” people working in the creative industries.

In a speech today, Sir Keir will warn the bosses of the streaming firms Netflix, Amazon and Google that they must do more to spread opportunities across the country. He will also unveil plans to broaden the curriculum, having argued it is “immoral” that the arts are disproportionately dominated by people who have been privately educated.

His proposals are being backed by big names from the world of culture. The Beverley Knight, the singer, comedian Jason Manford and Mike Soutar, an interviewer on The Apprentice, are among those supporting the drive.

Labour produced a slick video in which a series of celebrities endorsed the plans, saying they will make a “massive” difference.

Sir Keir is to accuse the Tories of undermining the teaching of arts subjects, accusing them of having a patronising attitude towards the working class. He will pledge to “prioritise creativity in schools” if he wins the next election, adding that the TV and film industries are high growth areas.

“The creative industries have the power and the potential for levelling up like nothing else,” the Labour leader will tell 250 business leaders from the sector. He will accuse the Tories of “zero-sum thinking between the arts and sciences” and warn the economy can’t recover “without the arts”.

Labour says that 60 per cent of British actors, directors and musicians nominated for awards in the past decade were privately educated, even though 94 per cent of children go to a state school.