Towards a paradigm of cultural education for the 21st century

Skin, ACE Dance and MusicPhoto: Brian Slater

01/11/09Laura Gander-Howe, Director of Learning, Arts Council England

Arts Council England: Our role to campaign, invest and develop the arts

Strong track record of supporting education and arts

• response to All Our Futures (1998)• in and out of school provision• national, regional and local partnerships

Increased Arts Council investment:

• CYP strategy 2005-2008 ‘Children and Young People and the Arts’• Arts Award – launched 2005

– 21,000 awards– Partnerships: Youth Justice Board, Skills Academy, University of the

Arts London• Artsmark – since 2001

– 10th round– over 4000 current Artsmark schools– over 9000 schools have gained Artsmark status during the programme

• Creative Partnership – since 2002 – has worked with 2700 schools

• Young Peoples Participatory Theatre programme – a three-year DCMS-funded initiative to develop youth and participatory

theatre in England 2005/06–2008/09– programme focussed on practical involvement in theatre craft and

management to advocacy and policy-making – engaged with over 13,500 young people

Additional investment through:

• Department for Children, Schools and Families• Music Manifesto

– Significant investment over 3 years, £300m plus

– Free music tuition

– Extra curricular activities, e.g. choirs and orchestras

• Sing Up – National singing campaign in all primary schools

• In Harmony (El Sistema) - Engage less advantaged primary pupils (Lambeth, Norwich, Liverpool)

• Youth Music action zones – Since 2000 22 zones set up in areas of socio-economic disadvantage, providing activities to those who may usually miss out

• Find your talent – 10 pathfinders to explore models of developing partnerships and local delivery required to realise a cultural offer for all children and young people, £25m over three years

2009 - significant year in terms of:

Economics Politics Strategy

Economic – recession

• high levels of debt• cuts to public spending• duplication of funding and initiatives• desire to formalise partnership working• pool resources and efforts• simplify an over complex infrastructure• match demand to supply

Political

• May 2010 election• case for investment in the arts by Arts Council England• international

– UNESCO Road map for Arts Education

– Preparation for Korea

• maintaining profile of the arts in terms of children and young people’s engagement = social and economic wellbeing

Strategy

• Arts Council England’s Arts Strategy towards 2020• Great Art for Everyone• goal based• children and young people, skills, talent, engagement,

partnerships as emerging themes• children and young people: future audiences, future

practitioners, building social and emotional wellbeing• linked to wider policy: 21st century schools, 14-19

qualification reform, Creative Britain, Digital Britain, Cultural Learning Alliance

Arts Council England’s Roadmap to 2020

• create a strategic alliance with key cultural partners• agree a cross sector strategy for children and young

people, including arts and culture• agree shared vision and priorities• map existing supply and demand• develop local partnerships and delivery models• clarify links and opportunities with local authorities

Build on successful programmes and infrastructures

• Find Your Talent• Arts Award• Artsmark• Creative Partnerships

Supply and demand

• need to better match arts and cultural opportunities• what children and young people want • how to engage the disengaged• identify barriers to every child engaging in high quality

arts and cultural opportunities• determine local delivery organisations (CCE, National

Skills Academy, clusters of arts organisations)

Thank you

www.artscouncil.org.uk