Memorandum submitted by Arts Council England
Arts Council England welcomes the opportunity
to contribute to the inquiry in examining the value of creativity
within the curriculum and how this can be assessed and defined.
We are optimistic that outcomes of an inquiry could have a significant
impact on the future shape and direction of Arts Council England's
activities in relation to education and learning, as well as the
education system as a whole.
Arts Council England is the development agency
for the arts and a key funder of the arts sector in England. In
2005 we published a three-year strategy for Children, Young People
and the Arts which set out our vision that every child and young
person in the country should be entitled to engagement with high
quality arts, and access to creative experiences.
We strongly believe that this engagement should
be in part through working with the arts community, via partnerships
developed between schools and creative industries. One of our
roles is to support artists and arts organisation to be able to
effectively build these partnerships and have the right skills,
knowledge and understanding to ensure quality experiences for
young people—whether they are as audience members or participants.
A growing number of young people will move into
careers in the creative industries. We are committed to supporting
progression routes for these young people and working with key
partners to ensure schools provide opportunities, both in the
classroom and through work-based learning, to develop the necessary
skills, knowledge and understanding of their chosen specialist
area(s) of the arts.
Our national strategic interventions aim to
effect change in schools and in the arts sector, in order for
our vision to be realised, to the benefit of children and young
people in all parts of England through. We do this through:
— Creative Partnerships, a
flagship creativity programme for schools and young people, led
by Arts Council England and funded by the Department for Culture,
Media and Sport (DCMS) with additional support from the Department
for Children, School and Families (DCSF). It aims to develop the
creativity of young people, raising their aspirations and achievements.
In addition the programme develops the skills of teachers and
their ability to work with creative practitioners and supports
schools' approaches to culture, creativity and partnership working
whilst developing the skills, capacity and sustainability of the
creative industries.
Creative Partnerships focuses on the most deprived
communities in England. The programme achieves its aims by nurturing
the creativity of learners and educators, and developing creative
approaches to teaching all aspects of the curriculum. Creative
Partnerships enables headteachers to realise their personal vision
for a school, freeing them up to innovate and succeed. It encourages
an approach designed around the needs of the individual school,
with learning tailored to the needs and aspirations of each child.
Creative Partnerships enables schools to work
with creative practitioners to develop a broad, balanced and relevant
curriculum by supporting a range of creative practitioners to
work in partnership with schools in long term sustained relationships.
— Arts Award is a national
qualification which recognises young people's development as artists
and arts leaders. It appeals to young people of all interests,
abilities and cultural backgrounds, and leads to qualifications
at Bronze (NQF Level 1), Silver (NQF Level 2) and Gold (NQF Level
3) level. The Arts Award is run by Arts Council England in partnership
with Trinity Guildhall, and supported by Canon (UK) Ltd. Nine
regional agencies support the delivery of the award across the
country and maintain a growing network of local training providers.
— Artsmark is the national
award scheme that recognises schools' commitment to the arts,
supported by the DCMS, DCSF, Ofsted and QCA. Currently almost
4,000 schools (15% of all schools) have an Artsmark award. In
order to be given Artsmark status, schools have to demonstrate
that they have well-considered management of the arts, provide
a minimum entitlement to arts lessons in curriculum time (3 hours/wk),
provide choice of creative Extended Services opportunities and
provide relevant professional development opportunities for teachers.
Importantly, they have also built a range of partnerships with
the professional arts sector.
— Arts Extend is built on the
belief that the arts can and should play a vital part in the Extended
Services provision. Through Extended Services more children, young
people and their families could have the opportunity to participate
in arts and creative activities, and enable the arts sector to
widen its reach. We believe that the arts in extended schools
can go further than just being part of a varied programme of activities,
and that they can significantly contribute to the provision of
each of the Extended Services requirements. This programme is
being piloted in nine Local Authorities across England, and is
supported by the TDA, 4Children, ContinYou and DCSF.
— Arts organisations, libraries, museums,
archives and schools in Telford, Durham and Bournemouth &
Poole are developing a cultural offer for children and young people
through the Cultural Hubs programme. Now in its second year, Cultural
Hubs is delivered in partnership with the MLA and is exploring
a broad cultural offer for children and young people, at the heart
of which is effective partnership working and joint-planning between
the cultural and education sectors.
— The Young People's Participatory
Theatre programme is a 3-year DCMS funded initiative to develop
youth and participatory theatre in England 2005-06 to 2008-09.
The definition of theatre within the scope of this project includes
circus, street arts and experimental theatre and the age range
we are working with is young people aged 11-25 years. The programme
aims include: a commitment to increase young people's access to
and participation in theatre, raising the profile and status of
participatory work, and positively addressing issues of quality.
— Building Schools for the Future
(BSF) provides a unique opportunity to ensure that schools
across the country are fully equipped to reflect and develop further
the vibrant arts opportunities available for students and communities.
Arts Council England has invested support through the development
of a BSF Culture website (currently being expanded as a national
resource) and through funding strategic regional posts to work
with Local Authorities and schools on school design. Our growing
partnership with Partnerships 4 Schools encourages commissioners
and designers to embed creativity into their plans, including
consultation with students and the school community.
The growth and economic impact of the creative
industries, as reported in the recent Hutton report Staying
Ahead, supports the argument for education to be linked to
the real world of work—particularly the development of industry-specific
skills. The Arts Council will be key in responding to the challenges
and opportunities set out in that report. For creative industries
to continue to grow an increasingly educated demand-side is also
required—we provide early exposure to culture, and learning
opportunities across the age ranges to ensure more culturally
aware communities. We are also in a position to strategically
respond to the need for those entering, or in, the creative industries
to achieve the high-quality, industry-specific skills that are
clearly required.
The Arts Council is also fully supportive of
the new Creative and Media Diplomas and has advised on their development
through the Industry Advisory Panel membership. The real world
contexts and workplace learning elements of this Diploma will
allow young people to better understand the creative industries.
It is likely the Arts Award will be an option unit for this Diploma.
We have also worked with Cultural and Creative Skills in the development
of the Creative Apprenticeships, particularly through the development
of a new National Skills Academy for performing arts.
Arts Council England will continue to review
and develop its portfolio of work to reflect the emerging priorities
of the Department of Culture, Media and Sports whilst also aligning
with relevant priorities of the Departments for Children, Schools
and Families and Innovation, Universities and Skills. Arts Council
priorities will reflect the aim of ensuring every child receives
the best possible start in life, to fulfil their individual potential
and in ensuring that the UK has the skilled workforce it needs
to compete in a global economy.
July 2007
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