A survey of UK university applicants in 2017 has revealed that 14,000 fewer students are opting to enrol onto art and design courses than last year.
The statistics were gathered by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and published last week.
They show that, between 2016 and 2017, there was a five per cent decrease in the number of people applying for courses that fall under the Creative Arts and Design bracket.
In 2016, the bracket ? which includes courses related to fine art, design, music, drama, dance, cinema and photography, crafts and creative writing ? had 273,870 applicants, whereas 2017 has seen just 259,600.
It marks the most significant drop in applications to the Creative Arts and Design since 2013 ? the year after the cap on tuition fees was controversially raised to £9,000.
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The statistics appear to validate concerns raised by industry professionals about the UK government's attitude towards the creative industries, and what long-term effects that could have.
Barber & Osgerby said the government is "scared by creativity", while fellow designer Michael Marriott described the British education system as "f*cked".
London Design Festival founder John Sorrell previously spoke out against the push for the EBacc to replace existing GCSEs with five compulsory subjec...