An interview with Rebecca Woolf


The Arts, in this article defined as English, Drama, Music, and Art, have been the topic of numerous debates over the years. Are the Arts a worthwhile career choice? Is there still money in the Art sector? What is the future of the Arts? As English Literature fell from the top 10 most popular A Level choices this year, I spoke to Rebecca Woolf, a secondary school English teacher, for her opinions on this statistic, and the future of the Arts.

 Our curriculum is full of brilliant subjects. What do the Arts, in particular English, provide to our curriculum, that other subjects lack?

W: It is a living, breathing study, rooted in academic worth. It gives you empathy, it keeps you awake and alive to other people. And it allows you to express yourself in the world.

Many students avoid the Arts because the career path and income that follows is uncertain. How would you respond to students feeling this anxiety?

W: It makes sense for a student to question “what am I getting out of this?”, however I find it very sad that because of the economic imperative, people are less likely to do something for its own sake. Just to have a feeling inside them that “this is exciting”, because that is what education should be.

Today, academically rigorous schools are pushing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) over the Arts. When asked what she thought of this, Woolf said, “I don’t feel it should be mutually exclusive”. The push of STEM over the Arts can have ramifications in the real-world, as students are more likely to choose well-respected, well-funded subjects over others. In light of this, I asked:

What would a world without the Arts look like? Is that a world you’d want to engage in? 

W: I would immediately find that concept quite suffocating. It comes down to empathy. The arts give you a window into other people’s lives. Without it, what do we do? Where is your evidence that the Arts do nothing? If (the arts) do nothing, then why are they banned in repressive cultures? Because they know that art touches people. It is revolutionary.

On a more positive note, how can we engage students in the Arts? What can be done to inspire them to follow their passions? 

W: More exposure to materials that excite them! There are so many opportunities: the National Student Drama Festival was life-changing for me, seeing that there are people who make a living in this world. Beyond that, the Globe Theatre, writers coming into schools, artists too. 

 From this, it is evident that the Arts are, in fact, viable. Beyond viable, they are essential. Without books, poetry, music, artwork, films, the world becomes dim. It is necessary now for schools to demonstrate this in how they interact with the Arts. To prove to students that following their passions is worthwhile, and they will be supported if they do so.