Music and Dance Schools: Affordable Access

Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie Excerpts

Thursday 16th October 2025 Grand Committee

[Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Con)]

My Lords, I stand before you as an alumnus of Tring Park, one of the MDS schools. Dance is, I believe, the “Cinderella” of the arts. The noble Baroness, Lady Bull, talked about the years of training but there is little chance of making money. The UK is blessed: we have world-class ballet companies and schools, but there is a danger that they are filled only with those who can pay and talented foreign dancers.

The Government recognise dancers as critical to economic growth, as they are included in the list of priority professions for visas, but without sustained public funding we will not have homegrown talent—no more Billy Elliots, no more Reese McMahons, no more like the noble Baroness, Lady Bull. Ninette de Valois recognised the need to nurture homegrown talent in 1926 when she created a school before she founded a company.

Professional dance training is expensive. There are audition fees, even for the associate programmes, requirements to travel—sometimes for many hours—around the country to access training hubs, and, even with MDS contributions, fees are more expensive now with VAT. MDS support does not cover exam fees, registration fees, music supplies, physio, insurance, uniform or shoes—and yes, ballet dancers get through a heck of a lot of shoes. This is all before we consider the impact on the rest of the family. You need either really dedicated parents to take you to all these classes, summer schools, intensives and exams, or to be able to afford to board. Neither option can be said to be truly affordable for many families.

Ballet is a global market. We have an incredible British heritage but if there is to be a future for British dancers within our great schools and companies, then truly affordable access to specialist training, through the MDS and CAT schemes, must be maintained for the longer term.