Putting creativity
at the heart of
the curriculum

Who we are

The Arts and Minds Campaign is a coalition of national organisations – led by the National Education Union – who have come together from across the arts and education sectors. We see creative subjects as a crucial part of the curriculum and are using our combined professional expertise to call for their reinstatement. We are joined by our Arts Ambassadors, leading practitioners in their field who represent a broad section of the creative industries:

Arts Ambassadors

Steve Coogan
Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter & Producer

It’s not enough for kids to be talented – these days you need money. But access to creative subjects should not be limited to those who go to private school or whose parents can afford to pay for extra-curricular activities. The Labour government needs to reverse 14 years of Tory underfunding and down-talking the arts in education. That way children from all backgrounds will get the chance to do the subjects they want to do – and creative industries will benefit from a much-needed injection of diverse talent.

Dr Eunice Olumide MBE
Broadcaster, designer, supermodel

Growing up on a council estate, I felt isolated and disconnected from the world. Our area suffered from serious socio-economic problems, and in most cases it was so bad we could not play outside. I was allowed to go to the National Museum of Scotland, and it was there, seeing the art, culture, history and spectacular works, that I learned how to dream, to see the world in a new light. It gave me the courage to believe. Arts transforms lives.

Dame Arlene Phillips DBE
Choreographer, theatre director & TV presenter

I am committed to the Arts and Minds campaign because I believe that an education that embraces the arts is vital. As a young and not very academic pupil in a large grammar school of mostly academic students, I was an odd one out. I knew from a young age my life was going to be in dance. It was a struggle having no finance to support me and by the age of 12 I had a paper round and worked in a bread shop every Sunday so that I could dance. The arts feed the soul and the realisation that your life can be in the arts is the biggest gift for young people that desire it. To give everyone that chance through their school life will be life changing for so many.

Jamie Kenna
Actor

Sadly, in most cases talent doesn’t give you opportunities, money does! The arts should be accessible to EVERY child. The opportunity to Follow your passions and dreams should not be determined by your wealth and status.
Photo: Jake Turney

Dr Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason
Author

It is vital that arts education remain a core part of children’s learning. The school curriculum needs to encourage curiosity, experiment, commitment, teamwork and the widespread benefits of creative thinking. The arts represent knowledge and skills that are central to the intellectual and emotional development of young people. To remove arts education in our schools and communities will remove the right of a majority of children to full and inclusive access to the arts and to the benefits of creative intelligence across all subjects.

Kellie Bright
Actor

Creativity shouldn’t be a luxury only afforded by the few. The Arts give access to so many opportunities. When are we going to value them in the same way that we value other subjects? As a SEND parent, creative subjects are a lifeline. They ignite my son’s imagination and build up his self-esteem.

Sir Ben Okri OBE FRSL
Poet & novelist

The Arts are an ancient and vital part of human education. They humanise the will, activate the powers of the imagination, bring wisdom to the intelligence and a richer vision to all human endeavours. Without the arts in education we would be not much more than clever machines. With the arts we become a people constantly able to create greater futures.

Michael Rosen
Author, poet & former Children’s Laureate

Human beings have always created art. We need it to investigate and understand who we are. We need it to give us pleasure and solace. It is being squeezed out of state education. This has been a deliberate move as part of a misguided view that publicly educated school students have less market value if they have spent time in school doing arts subjects. The result is that we are disadvantaging those young people by hindering their chances of reflecting on who they are and what kind of world they live in. It should also be said that the creative industries sector as a whole is a hugely successful part of the economy. If we hinder state school students from doing arts, we are in effect saying that only privately educated students should move into jobs in the arts. There is, therefore, a matter of fairness and equality involved here. We need a campaign to fight for the arts in education.

Ben Jones
Actor & Writer

We are creative beings. Children use their imagination to make sense of the world long before they even use words. Storytelling is at the heart of human existence. Making sense of our surroundings, our origins and our reality. It is at the heart of all our relationships – we tell ourselves narratives about the people we encounter, the food we eat, our celebrations, our losses. The buildings we inhabit. All design. Every product has a concept – these are stories. Stories are art. Art is culture. It is our identity.

Grace Nichols
Poet

To express themselves creatively should be every child’s birthright. Whether through music, painting, poetry, cookery, The Arts isn’t a luxury, but imaginative food for our young people, the creators of our future.

Andrew Graham-Dixon
Art historian, author & broadcaster

People who know nothing of the history of art are generally to be avoided. They can be very dangerous.Arts education is crucial to the well-being of any country.

Lee Hall
Writer & lyricist

The Arts are something that can change lives. The economy has changed dramatically from the time the current curriculum was conceived and all of the arts provide skill that are central to how the digital economy works. Visual literacy, working in groups, developing creative responses to challenges, self presentation, intuitive understanding, performing for a camera, using music, visual images and words to form a message are all skills which are invaluable not simply for work in the Arts but are transferable skills almost everyone will make use of. But more than this the Arts are a gift for life giving people a way to understand the world and themselves through empathy and understanding in a way that none of the other subjects can provide. The Arts are essential to any education and it is more imperative than ever that they form the core of what we teach in schools.
Photo: Sunny Jagesar

Aakash Odedra
Choreographer

The importance of arts and education - the arts have been a bridge between humanity from time immemorial connecting cultures, endorsing sensitivity and compassion and celebrating humanity in its diverse perspectives.

For me educating people in the arts is to educate them in the art of life itself. We are in an isolating time where technology has disconnected us from the world we inhabit. There is real meaning in two or even 200 people meeting in a theatre and walking through a journey with the performer as a collective consciousness.

Like everything good in life one has to develop a taste for the arts, if we don't feed the hunger when children are young we suffer the results of it as we are doing today...

Feed our souls and create new goals, support the Arts and young Hearts

Sarah Graham
Artist

Arts education is vital. The beauty of art is that there's no right or wrong, it's purely exploration, creativity, and individual interpretation. These are key skills when it comes to learning, growth and development. Along with this, I think the most powerful aspect of art is that it allows you to play. Every child, regardless of background or wealth, should have access to a well funded and varied arts education, to not just enrich their lives, but so they can go on to enrich the lives of everyone.

Jolyon Brewis
Architect

Arts education in our schools is essential not only for the benefits it brings to each individual, but also for the collective success of our economy. Whilst many UK industries have declined over recent decades, creativity remains one of our strongest exports. This will only continue if it is nurtured, and can be accessed by everyone regardless of background, money or connections.

Bob & Roberta Smith OBE RA
Artist

We need to support our children now more than ever. We need to develop children’s voices through art, drama, music, design and poetry. We must call for a Mandy Barrett (the specialist art teacher and consultant) style art room, in which all the subjects are supported through drawing, creativity and the imagination, in all primary schools. All headteachers must learn the piano so they can demonstrate their learning each week to their children. The arts are at everyone’s fingertips so do shout loud: ‘all schools should be art schools’.

Bethany Antonia
Actor

I was born and raised in Birmingham and attended a very average state school-turned academy. I fell in love with my drama classes in those early years and then took it as an option at GCSE level. Nobody in my family worked in the arts. It was the passion and encouragement from my drama teachers back then that fuelled my enthusiasm for acting. Without them, I’d have had nobody to turn to for answers to my ever-growing list of questions. Every single child deserves the opportunity to explore their talents. Without support in those formative years, the sparkle may never ignite.

James Clutton
Chief Executive & Director of Opera, Opera Holland Park

Investing in arts education right now is the biggest single issue facing those of us who work and live in the UK arts world. The most important thing is to look ahead, to build for a future we may not ourselves see the direct benefits of. The possibility of an arts education for all means not simply creating an environment where youngsters have the chance to learn about the arts, and perhaps shape a potential career, it is just as important as a basic tool to enable everyone to get the most out of life: the enrichment, through a proper rounded education, and an educated appreciation of all the arts have to offer, of life itself.
Photo: Barney Cokeliss

Lorna May Wadsworth
Artist

All our futures depend on creative problem solving now more than ever. There are so many different kinds of intelligence. By neglecting the arts within education, we fail to show children how they can maximise their unique talents and potential, and we are all then the poorer.

Furthermore, in an age of unprecedented anxiety, giving children and young people the scope and tools to express themselves, their thoughts, fears & dreams is vital in equipping them to navigate our world and their futures.

Harry Venning
Cartoonist

The Arts are an essential part of the school experience. They instil confidence, self-esteem and a sense of identity. They encourage students to be creative, curious and inquiring in their thinking, and mutually supportive in collaborative efforts. Great friendships are made through involvement in the arts at school, and everybody has something to contribute, irrespective of experience or ability.
Photo: Rob Orchard

Olugbenga Adelekan
Musician & writer

There is nothing like a school show. It's an absolutely magical thing, especially when it can pull in live music, set design, dancing and drama. Whether or not even a fraction of the students involved ever go on to have careers in the arts, it's an experience that will stay with them their whole lives. I know, because I was one of those students. Now, as a parent, I find it so sad to see how little time and resources are available in schools for the arts. I can only hope this will change under a Labour government.

David Remfry MBE RA
Artist

I firmly believe that arts education is an essential pillar of personal and societal growth. It nurtures creativity, fosters critical thinking, and encourages emotional expression, all of which are crucial skills in an ever-evolving world. Arts education not only opens doors to self-discovery and self-expression but also cultivates empathy and cultural understanding. Through the arts, we learn to see the world from diverse perspectives, to communicate ideas beyond words, and to connect with others on a deeper level.

Cash Carraway
Screenwriter

I'm lucky enough to be of a generation where you could grow up on a council estate yet still have access to the arts in state education. Without it, I wouldn't have the career I have. Nowadays art is the preserve of those born into wealth – but we all know that the greatest artists are most often working class.

Tim Crouch
Writer & performer

Are we here again? Are we having to put the argument for arts education again? I thought it was beyond debate. I thought all the data was incontrovertible. Art gives children their voice; it makes their life better; it makes them healthier and happier and more powerful. In turn, communities are improved and economies are strengthened. We are defined by our culture and our culture is slowly being starved at its roots in these acts of blinkered governmental vandalism. 

Farooq Chaudhry OBE
Dance Producer & Director

The arts and creativity are vital to human expression. Unlike many other resources, the more you use them, the more you have. They’re an endless source of joy. Every aspect of a young person’s life can be enriched through creative or artistic acts. While fields like medicine, law, science, and engineering are certainly noble and necessary, it's art, beauty, and love that we stay alive for. Let’s remember that nurturing the soul of a young person is just as important as nurturing their mind.

Steve Bell
Cartoonist

Art education matters because art matters. Whether it's high art, like opera or oil painting, or low art, like comics or hip-hop, no matter. Art is the way we understand our world in its entirety, through our senses and our emotions, so why should the investigation and discovery of its delights be restricted to only those who can afford it? Clearly it has to be for everyone.

Matthew Burrows MBE
Artist & founder of Artist Support Pledge

What is creativity but the ability to think, feel, play, and innovate from where you are with what you have? In doing this, we bring into the world something unseen and new. Isn’t this the greatest gift of learning any of us can give to the next generation?

Andy Gangadeen
Musician

All children deserve to have a musical education. Those opportunities for any kid whose parent cannot afford music lessons have decreased massively over the last 15 years. Learning music in school is not just about learning to play an instrument – it helps develop other skill sets both in school subjects like maths, and in wider life skills like collaboration, confidence building, listening, memory, critical thinking and quick decision making.

Chris Riddell OBE
Illustrator, author, cartoonist & former Children's Laureate

Every child has an innate feel for art and any curriculum should celebrate and enhance this. If the arts are pushed to the margins in our schools or considered a luxury we will all be poorer as a result.

Joey Holder
Digital artist

Society is inherently neurodiverse, children are not uniform or identical in their thinking and being. We are diverse, dynamic, and multifaceted individuals, and art education celebrates and amplifies this richness. In a time when education is increasingly commodified and constrained by bureaucratic protocols, the importance of creativity and art education has never been greater.

Creative subjects empower children to develop their own ideas rather than merely replicating what they are taught, fostering independent thinking and innovation. Unlike the results-driven focus that dominates much of today’s educational system, art education nurtures a deep, more active engagement with the world. It also provides alternative pathways for learning, allowing children to explore ideas in non-verbal, visual, or tactile ways—offering a valuable framework for those who may not resonate with traditional STEM subjects.

John Bright OBE
Costume designer, costumier & philanthropist

It is my firmly held belief that the arts and creativity can shape happier and healthier children and enable young people to reach their full potential. My life’s work has been committed to costume design for film, tv and theatre and I have been fortunate to have had some incredible experiences and worked with some inspirational artists.

Through my arts education charity, The Bright Foundation, I want to tackle the barriers that prevent so many of our youth today from experiencing the joy of being creative, offering memorable, and hopefully life changing experiences to them. We are witnessing first-hand the erosion of arts in the curriculum and the negative impact this is having on children.

I stand with the Arts and Mind campaign to call for creativity to be placed at the heart of our education system.
Photo: Alun Callender

Helen Cammock
Artist

Art is how we learn to take ownership of our ideas. It is not about anybody else's answers but about our own questions. It is an articulation and a transformation of how we see the world. It is about beauty and imagination. It is vital that each child has the opportunity to develop their own ways of thinking and making sense of what they see, because this is the way we understand the multiplicitous nature of the world. It is how we learn to express ourselves fully, to think independently, communicate openly, empathise and see others as equals. We learn to negotiate and accept there are many colours to life.

Dunstan Bruce
Musician & performer

Creative subjects let us think outside of the box, help us think differently, they dare us to dream and be bold and brave. It’s where we can express ourselves, discover ourselves and grow, where we can improvise, innovate, be inspired and simply enjoy ourselves. We should encourage all children to create. Art is inclusive and communal. All art is essential.

Orphy Robinson MBE
Musician

Creativity should never be a privilege reserved for the few. It’s heartbreaking and unjust that working-class kids are being locked out of the creative industries, while the arts become increasingly dominated by those with access to wealth and privilege. The rapid disappearance of creative opportunities in inner-city schools is robbing us of authentic voices – the value of the ‘Song’ needs the grit, angst, and raw storytelling that only diverse experiences can provide. We must act now to ensure that the next generation of creators reflects the full spectrum of our society, not just a narrow slice of it.

Rosemary Clunie
Artist, illustrator & author

Studying creative subjects at school develops the imagination, lateral thinking and creative skills, essential complements for more logical subjects, and for solving problems later on in life.

Shannie Mears
Co-founder & head of talent at The Elephant Room

The Arts for me is about freedom of expression, a chance to tap into our creativity and share that to empower our future selves. We all deserve a real and fair chance at that, not just the elite or the lucky.

Jack Pepper
Composer & radio presenter

I’m delighted to support the Arts and Minds campaign, highlighting the vital power of creativity. Teaching the arts is not so much about teaching technical knowledge as it is confidence, teamwork, self-awareness and self-expression. Something like music is not ultimately about itself, but about us. Education exists to widen horizons and ensure everyone leaves school a well-rounded human being. Head and heart, thinking and feeling – nothing develops us like the arts. It’s part of being human. A strong arts education for all must not be a luxury or a lottery. The future depends on us getting education right.

Karl Nova
Hiphop artist, poet & author

I support the Arts and Minds campaign because I believe in the power of art to uplift, inform, inspire and comfort hearts and minds, especially in these times.

Harry Shotta
Lyrical artist

I support this amazing campaign because I resonate with how much music impacted positively on my life as a youngster. The arts for young people are crucial to them achieving in so many ways, and this needs to be supported and funded properly.
Noah Dacosta

Julian Wild
Sculptor & public artist

The arts in our schools are under-funded and under-valued as curriculum subjects. Arts education at an early stage nurtures creativity, critical thinking and emotional expression. From a practical perspective, whatever course in life a student takes, the creative approach is a precious asset. By supporting and funding arts education we foster culture, confidence and well-being in our young.

Mark Tieku
Songwriter & producer

As a child of African immigrants and being from a working class background, I feel like I have an understanding of the barriers to even envisaging a career in the arts when you aren't part of the ‘dominant culture’, and don't have the safety net of a wealthy background, let alone the difficulties of navigating a career once you’re in the door.With the changes in how consumers interface with art, in all its forms, accelerating by the year, and with advancements in AI, there will obviously be new efficiencies and opportunities, but those also bring new challenges.The balance and struggle of commerce alongside creativity within the life of so many artists is often a kind of ‘oil and water’ scenario that can lead to so many of the common stresses and breakdowns we see in artists. I honestly feel the concept of ‘art for art's sake’ has to be the mantra moving forward. That means giving children of all backgrounds an opportunity to interface with artistic endeavours, with enough time, resources, and for the right reasons, before they get to that point where commerce becomes part of the DNA of their art as it invariably does in adulthood.



Coalition Members

ACCESSART

Visual arts education charity and subject association for art, working to further the advancement of visual arts education through our extensive collection of visual arts education resources and CPD events.

Action for Children's Arts

The only organisation in the UK dedicated to the promotion, development and celebration of all the creative and performing arts for and with children aged 0-12 years.

Akademi

Renowned for their world-class dance performances and groundbreaking wellbeing programmes, Akademi have been making vibrant, fascinating, and meaningful South Asian dance since 1979.

APPG ART EDUCATION

All Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft, and Design in Education.

Art Explora

A UK arts charity expanding access to the arts through innovative touring, digital and creative programmes, working with artists, communities, and cultural organisations to remove barriers to participation.

Arting Around

We support and empower children and young people by integrating creative and critical thinking into their educational journey through visual art practice and play.

Artis Foundation

A creative learning charity closing the opportunity gap by enabling children to sing, act and dance their primary school curriculum - nurturing creativity in every child, everywhere.

Artists’ Union England (AUE)

A trade union for visual , applied artists and artists with socially engaged practice.

Art UK

Art education charity democratising access to the UK national collection of art and digital platform showcasing over one million artworks from 3,500 UK public collections of art.

Arts Emergency

Arts Emergency is a people-powered movement that steps in where society fails under-resourced young people. Through mentoring, connections and relentless belief in them, it opens the gates to arts and culture for everyone, not just a privileged few.

Association for Art History

Leads the collective effort in the UK to advance the study and practice of art history.

Attachment Research Community (ARC)

Supporting schools to become attachment & trauma aware

BLACK LIVES IN MUSIC

Standing at the vanguard of diversity in music.

Campaign for the Arts

A nationwide alliance and independent charity that champions, defends and expands access to the arts and culture, for and with the UK public.

Care to Dance

A social enterprise led by social workers and dancers that aims to improve the wellbeing of care-experienced young people.

CENTRE FOR LITERACY

Raising the quality of literacy education for all children.

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation

A cultural education charity that exists to instil curiosity and empathy, aspiration and self-esteem, literacy and teamwork - giving young people the confidence to see that all the world is their stage.

Cotswolds Art Through Schools

Taking the arts into 60 Cotswolds primary schools to bring joy, improve creativity and wellbeing, and improve attendance and academic results.

CREATIVE WAYS

Championing visual art education, led by prominent art activist Susan M Coles.

Cultural Learning Alliance

Champions a right to arts and culture for every child by providing annual data-based surveys, sharing insights into the policy and practice landscape, and demonstrating the ways in which an arts-rich education provides skills for life and for work.

Curious Minds

A backbone organisation for arts and cultural education, championing its vital role in enriching young lives and improving life chances.

Delight Charity

A leading arts-based learning charity, providing equal opportunity for every child to thrive in their school years and beyond. Delight's joyful visual arts, dance, drama & storytelling programmes are a catalyst for long-term change for disadvantaged children.

Drama and Theatre Education Alliance

An alliance of over 20 national associations, organisations and networks working in drama and theatre for, with, and by children and young people.

Engage

Engage connects and supports the people and organisations who make meaningful engagement with the visual arts possible.

English Folk Dance and Song Society

A National Portfolio Organisation that runs the National Youth Folk Ensemble and champions the folk music and dance at the heart of England's rich cultural landscape.

EQUITY

The performing arts and entertainment trade union.

Forest of Imagination

Invites everyone to think imaginatively together about the importance of the arts, nature connection and social action.

International Arts and Imagination Network (IAIN)

Advocates for the transformative power of the arts and imagination in education.

Into Film

The UK’s leading film in education charity.

James Nissen

A musician, researcher, teacher and founding executive member of the Music, Education and Social Inclusion (MESI) study group of the International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance (ICTMD).

KEN JONES

Emeritus Professor of Education, Goldsmiths, University of London.

LONDON DRAMA

The Professional Association for drama teachers, lecturers, teachers-in-training, theatre practitioners and others in drama/theatre education.

Luca Silvestrini's Protein

Blending original choreography, text, music and social commentary to engage and entertain audiences and nurture an inclusive, participatory experience.

Midlands Arts Partnership (Virtual Schools)

To enhance the development of a broad learning offer enhanced by emotional and physical literacy and raising awareness of workforce development across learning communities.

Motor House Arts

A CIC with four decades of creative practice, delivering hands-on making, design and arts programmes that widen access to creative education, build skills and confidence, and demonstrate why the arts matter to the communities that need them most.

Music Education Solutions

Education consultancy company empowering teachers and arts organisations globally to deliver exceptional music education.

Music For All

A charity which changes lives across the UK by enabling access to music making opportunities.

MUSIC FOR YOUTH

Showcasing the brilliance of young musicians across the UK.

Music Mark

The UK Association for Music Education is a membership and subject association, offering training and resources, connecting members with the wider Music Education network, and influencing policy and practice at a national level.

MUSICIANS’ UNION

A community of over 35,000 musicians working to protect our members’ rights and campaign for a fairer music industry.

National Drama

A registered charity and the UK’s leading professional subject association for teachers, lecturers and theatre educators.

National Education Union

The UK’s largest education union.

NEATEN

North East Art Teacher Educator Network: a successful, vibrant and large grassroots organisation which advocates for visual art education.

NSEAD

The trade union, learned society and professional association for art and design teachers.

ONE DANCE UK

The national support organisation and subject association for dance in schools.

Royal Shakespeare Company

The RSC's Creative Learning and Engagement team works with schools using Shakespeare’s plays and award-winning teaching approaches to unlock potential and improve learning outcomes with students of all ages.

RYTC Creatives

The home of inspiring, multi award winning performing arts and creative drama therapy.

STEAM Co.

Champions creativity by helping stage events in schools and communities, fetes and festivals.

Theatre Workout

A leading producer of theatre workshops for schools, with award-winning programmes in London's West End, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and across the UK.

The English Association

A learned society and subject association that connects schools, colleges, and universities to promote the teaching, study, and enjoyment of English literature, language, and creative writing.

The Independent Society of Musicians

The UK's professional body for musicians and a subject association for music.

The Mighty Creatives

A multi-award winning charity fighting for social justice for young people in the shadows of society through arts, culture and creativity.

Tomorrow's Warriors

Supports and develops the next generation of jazz talent, bridging the gap between education and the music industry.

Trinity Laban

A world-leading music and dance conservatoire based in south east London, which provides extensive training options and works directly in local communities to inspire and enable everyone to take part in the performing arts.

UKLA

UK Literacy Association: we work to advance literacy education.

University and College Union

The UK's largest trade union for lecturers, researchers and academic-related staff in further and higher education.

West Midlands Virtual Schools Children In Care Foundation

To ensure that all care experienced children & young people are able to access high-quality arts & cultural experiences and activities.

Young Furniture Makers' Society

We empower young people to become the next generation of furniture professionals.

Young Voices

The world's largest children's choir, hosting arena-scale concert experiences for primary school children across the UK and the world.

These are our policy recommendations:

 

  • The right to study arts and creative subjects at school – all children regardless of their background should have the opportunity to study a rich creative curriculum.
  • Restore the status of arts and creative education – now the government has scrapped the EBacc, restore parity between subjects, and give schools the trust and flexibility they need to educate.
  • End the exam factory culture – end high-stakes assessments at primary school which narrows the curriculum and puts undue pressure on students, teachers and leaders, and reduce the exam burden at GCSE.
  • Equip the education system to deliver a broad, balanced curriculum – increase teacher and subject specific CPD for all teachers.
  • Fund the arts in schools and beyond – restore school funding to allow schools to invest in arts education, and restore arts funding to facilitate links between the education system and the industry.

 

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