Question: In some countries, only a few young people go to classical music concerts, or to plays and performances at the theatre . Why is this the case? Should young people be encouraged to attend and learn more?
Band 8+ Sample Answer:
(Intro) It is undeniable that fewer young adults attend classical music concerts, plays or other performances at the theatre. In my opinion, the low attendance at these performing arts events can be attributed to a lack of innovation. However, young people should definitely be encouraged to be engaged in these performances as they are healthy forms of entertainment.
(Body 1) The fact that many kinds of performing arts are less popular among young people probably stems from a lack of innovative changes. Orchestras or actors tend to perform the same outdated symphonies or plays written by certain well-known but traditional composers or playwrights, such as Mozart or Shakespeare. Without any changes made to these performances, they are not engaging for a contemporary young audience. That is why young adults tend to entertain themselves by watching gripping thrillers on Netflix or listening to contemporary music on Spotify.
(Body 2) Nonetheless, young people should be encouraged to attend these beneficial recreational activities. Nowadays, they tend to be glued to computer or mobile phone screens, leading to a sedentary lifestyle, which can have serious detrimental effects on their physical and mental health. Theatres and concert halls, therefore, would be better places for spending their leisure time. What’s more, they can also enjoy the social aspects of these activities by attending artistic events with their friends.
(Conclusion) In conclusion, a shortage of novel content in many kinds of performing arts has probably led to low attendance. Engaging young people in these performances is a sensible thing to do considering the health and social benefits. Perhaps, the most effective way to do this is encouraging artists to create new and interesting works of art, that can be performed live, but also recorded for subsequent digital consumption to attract more public attention. (290 words).
Words: Student essay, corrected & upgraded by Nick Kemp, former IELTS examiner.
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