Lemmy, Bowie and now Rickman, itâs been an emotional and sombre month following the loss of three iconic stars who set the bar for working class success stories, but with their passing, are we also saying goodbye to a future with working class idols?
Why is it when we look to start discussions on working class fame, we still speak of Gary Oldman and Sean Bean? Simple - pathways and access. Gone are the days where hard work and talent was enough, where an opportunity arises to be Hendrixâs roadie, a humble first step to stardom. If these three men were reborn tomorrow, would they have the same opportunity to remain our point of reference for working class success? The answer, in respect of their undisputable genius, is no.
Young working class talent continues to be excluded from the arts. If your parents cannot afford to support you while you âfollow your dreamâ, then the alternative is finding a career path better suited to diversity. How equal are pathways when 40% of children from disadvantaged backgrounds have never played an instrument, an expensive privilege. Or when access to a prestigious arts school is limited to one shot due to itâs unaffordable audition.
The current status quo makes it difficult to envisage how we are âall in it togetherâ, when social mobility fails to become social priority. Societyâs advice to the UKâs working class talent is forced to change. âUp sticks to the big smoke, the West End is on your doorstep!â, but remember social housing is soon to be a distant memory and London is unaffordable to the majority of the population. âGo to University, study musical theatre!â, but make sure you have enough to cover your now non-existent maintenance grant.
RECLAIM continue to strive towards a society where your postcode does not determine whether or not you achieve your potential. We will continue to challenge, but most importantly, so will our incredible working class young leaders who will not stop until they are your household name; whether through politics, business, or indeed, the arts.
Perhaps Peckhamâs John Boyega will be our isolated young talking point for the next decade (with even his casting creating a film boycott; some fans outraged that a fictional hero can be black). But even Boyegaâs access to a âhardshipâ fund was over a decade ago, long before austerity raised its axe.
In our 2015 Christmas campaign you saw RECLAIMâs hopes for the future, but until then, our hope will be backed up by our action. We will continue our battle to ensure working class young people's dreams are fully realised. Always.
