Another bumper month for news, reflecting just how much is going on in our sector right now.
In education news we cover an important new consultation from Ofsted; the launch of a new arts education campaign from the National Education Union; how arts teacher shortages are particularly affecting deprived schools; DfE cuts to cultural education; a DEMOS report on the National Music Plan; more cuts in the Higher Education sector; issues for dance education; continuing cuts to arts university courses and staff; details of UK Youth’s Summer Jobs Programme; and recruiting news from Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
In cultural sector news we cover the new government funding announcements for arts and culture; the review of Arts Council England; plenty of creative industries news, spanning a cash boost and a creative industries parliamentary debate; a new funding announcement from Creative Scotland; and news of two new surveys commissioned by Arts Council England.
EDUCATION SECTOR NEWS
OFSTED’S CONSULTATION ON ITS SCHOOL REPORT CARDS
OFSTED has published its new approach to school report cards through a consultation which closes on at 11.59pm on 28 April. The report cards will include the toolkits that show schools the evaluation areas inspections will focus on. The website has a context-setting video and the proposals in summary are:
- Report cards – these would give parents and carers more detailed information than the current reports, including a new 5-point grading scale to evaluate more areas of a school’s work and short summaries of what inspectors found
- Education inspection toolkits – this tool will show providers and inspectors the evaluation areas that inspections will be focused on and how they will assess and grade schools
- Inspection methodology – changes to how they carry out inspections
- Full inspections and monitoring inspections for state-funded schools – they plan to end ungraded inspections of state-funded schools and change their monitoring programmes so that they can check that timely action is taken to raise standards
- Identifying state-funded schools causing concern – a new approach to how they will place a school into a category of concern.
We are in the process of working through all the consultation documents and pulling together a CLA response to the consultation by 28 April. Although the consultation documents do not focus on individual subjects, we will be particularly interested in the new approach to arts and cultural learning following Ofsted’s focus on cultural capital since 2019.
A number of subjects (Geography, History, Sciences etc.) get no specific mention. The section of the consultation specifically relevant to arts and culture is the proposed Personal Development and Wellbeing toolkit. This includes specific reference to pupils’ personal development programmes spanning core curriculum, extra-curricular activities and broadening pupils’ experiences: “providing opportunities for them to develop their talents and interests in areas such as the arts, music and sport.” This can be seen as a positive statement, in that the arts are specifically identified – but there is also a danger in giving the impression that these are seen as extra-curricular add-ons.
There are other sections around skills, empathy, communication, ideas, emotions and around the importance of a broad and balanced curriculum and teacher development where the Expressive Arts could fit particularly well. Much of the reference to skills and knowledge is very generic and non-subject specific, although there is an emphasis on Maths and on communication skills.
A question for our sector is whether we would want “cultural, arts and music” specifically mentioned in curriculum – as an indicator of a genuinely broad and balanced curriculum – and whether we wound want “arts rich’ as an indicator for “Strong and exemplary”? Look out for more on this in our March newsletter, including support for your own responses.
LAUNCH OF NATIONAL EDUCATION UNION ARTS CAMPAIGN
The launch of the National Education Union’s Arts and Minds Campaign took place at Tate Modern on 12 February. Arts celebrities gathered, performed and spoke alongside pupils in front of an invited audience. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also addressed and voiced her support for the value of the arts in children’s lives.
The Campaign, led by the National Education Union, is made up of more than 20 organisations, including subject associations, and makes extensive use of CLA’s research findings. It is calling for all young people to be able to study creative subjects and for school arts funding to be restored. In line with our own Blueprint for an arts-rich education, it is also calling for the EBacc to be scrapped to increase arts take-up, the end of high-stakes assessments at primary and a reduction in the exam burden at GCSE. It also wants to see increased subject-specific CPD for teachers.
The current President of the NEU is Sarah Kilpatrick, an Art teacher from the North East, and spoke passionately at the launch about the value of the arts in her pupils’ lives.
The campaign’s website makes particular use of our 2024 Report Card. We look forward to supporting the campaign with the new evidence in our upcoming 2025 Report Card. It is always good to see teaching unions get behind the value of an arts-rich education, and to see them working in coalition to campaign for a revaluing of the arts in our schooling system – particularly at a time when that system is under review and there is the potential for change.
Arts teacher shortages hit deprived schools twice as hard
Nearly half of schools in the most disadvantaged areas are unable to offer one of the arts subjects owing to teacher shortages. Heads working at schools in the poorest areas are twice as likely to say that recruitment difficulties are affecting the arts subjects their schools can offer.
As reported in the TES, early half (48%) of school leaders working at schools in the most deprived areas said they do not offer one of art, music, drama, media or dance at GCSE or BTEC as they are unable to find teachers. A quarter of leaders (24%) said this in the most affluent schools, according to Teacher Tapp poll data for the Arts and Minds Campaign.
Overall, a quarter of secondary heads said they did not have enough funding for teachers or resources, or they lacked the facilities, to offer all the creative subjects. At primary level, 92% of heads said a lack of funding has negatively affected creative subjects.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Schools continue to be hamstrung by a lack of funding and teacher shortages. It is disadvantaged pupils who are most severely affected by this because they are often at schools where teacher recruitment is most difficult and are less likely to be able to access the arts outside of school through clubs or other activities.”
CLA’s upcoming 2025 Report Card will be reporting extensively on the many ways in which the poorest children and young people miss out on Expressive Arts subjects in and out of school – look out for the new edition next month.
DFE CUTS TO CULTURAL EDUCATION FUNDING (DANCE & MUSIC)
DfE has made two cuts to cultural education spending in recent weeks. The outreach element of the (Dance) Centre for Advanced training programme has been cut from April, as has National Youth Music Scheme funding.
We asked One Dance UK – the national support organisation for dance and the Subject Association for dance in schools – for comment. They said “We are incredibly disappointed to learn of the cuts to outreach funding for the Dance CAT programme and the withdrawal of DfE funding for National Youth Dance Company (NYDC). At a time when dance has been catastrophically eroded from mainstream education, and as we work towards rebuilding dance as an entitlement for all, it is more important than ever that access to means-tested, high-quality dance provision exists for young people.”
They went on to say that this funding represented excellent value for money, reaching a high proportion of young people who might otherwise have no entry point into the dance talent pipeline: “Once again, it is the most disadvantaged young people who are negatively affected.”
They have made a representation as part of the Spending Review to ask for this funding to be reinstated and expanded to ensure that access to the dance talent pipeline is a reality for all children and young people, and not just the preserve of the wealthy. “While we welcome the government’s outward enthusiasm for access to the creative arts for all, this must be matched with real tangible action.”
Music Mark, the UK Association for Music Education stated that it was “disappointed that National Youth Music Organisations (NYMOs) have been informed that the Department for Education (DfE) will not renew their contribution of £525,000 towards their work. The DfE’s funding was only ever confirmed until March 2025 and the NYMOs – and Music Mark – are grateful that Arts Council England (ACE) have agreed to cover the funding gap in 2025/26 so organisations’ budgets are not immediately impacted.”
National Youth Music Organisations include national level bands, orchestras, choirs and other ensembles. A full list can be found here. Music Mark states that NYMOs are already struggling with increasing core costs and an increasingly challenging fundraising environment, and says that without ACE’s support, their funding situation would be critical.
Bridget Whyte, Chief Executive of Music Mark, said: “These organisations support students to hone their performance skills as part of an ensemble and also to learn mentoring and workshop skills which are pathways into the profession. We welcome Arts Council England’s increased support to enable the NYMOs to continue their important work, but it is deeply worrying that the DfE have decided not to continue their direct funding to the NYMOs.”
This step is a reflection of how tight funds are for the new government at present. It is interesting that these DfE cuts to performing arts programmes come at a time when DCMS is continuing to invest in four cultural education programmes across museums, heritage, Arts & Design and film (see cultural sector funding news section below). We will keep you updated as to the impact of these new funding cuts and will report on any further announcements.
DEMOS REPORT ON THE NATIONAL PLAN FOR MUSIC EDUCATION
More music news this month, this time in relation to Music Hubs funding. A new Demos report, Facing the Music: Meeting the ambitions of the national plan for music education, supported by Music Mark, the UK Association for Music Education, identifies the costs and challenges associated with delivering the refreshed National Plan for Music Education (NPME2). Drawing on original survey data, Arts Council England data, and workshops with those working to deliver NPME2, this report accounts for new and hidden costs (a shortfall of £1.64m) of implementing the plan, identifies potential barriers to delivery, and calculates an estimate of the funding needed to deliver the plan effectively.
The report also presents five recommendations to government:
- Boost funding to help Music Hubs deliver music education for all by meeting the £32.3m annual funding gap and index-linking the Revenue Grant
- Liberate Music Hubs from restricted funding and reporting constraints, with greater flexibility on how the Capital Grant can be used
- Restore the essential place of music education in schools, recalibrating accountability measures that squeeze out music education and offering more generous bursaries for music teachers
- Mobilise support from the wider music sector and industry
- Rejuvenate “cultural deserts” through targeted local investment, simplified funding arrangements, and an investment in community spaces, including venues.
Music has always received the lion’s share of arts education funding, so it is interesting to see flaws identified within the new Music education funding proposals. Clearly the music education sector is nervous about the National Plan for Music Education (mark 2) and sees that it is presenting a real terms reduction in funding.
CLA would always argue for a wider approach to arts and cultural learning investment, which reflects the personal and societal value for children of studying all arts subjects. Music is frequently deemed separate in many government funding and policy streams (where the term “music and arts education” is often used) and we are not sure that this distinction and separation is always helpful for the wider sector.
SHIRLEY BALLAS ON DANCE EDUCATION – IT’S NOT A 10!
Shirley Ballas, in her role as President of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) has written an article for the Guardian about the current state of dance education.
Ballas writes that “the government has promised to put creativity back at the heart of school life, and people across the arts sector who have been campaigning for curriculum change for years will soon learn just how serious it is. Every day we are lucky enough to see how dance changes lives – how it makes us fitter, healthier and more confident, how it takes us into new worlds, brings us together, and keeps us active, physically and mentally.”
The Social Value of Movement and Dance report found that participating in dance uplifted mental wellbeing for 1.2 million participants, and resulted in 2.7m fewer GP and psychotherapy visits – creating £430m in savings on physical and mental health.
“I am … urging the sector – and everyone who understands the power and potential of dance – to come together and act for its future growth and development … Those of us who care about dance should demand a commitment from the government to develop a broad and balanced school curriculum that acknowledges and values its creative and physical benefits.”
Ballas writes that the ISTD wants every child provided with the opportunity to experience a high-quality dance performance before they reach the end of Key Stage 3. Her statement is just one of the ways in which we are seeing subject agencies and teaching unions start to ramp up their campaigning in advance of the interim report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review.
Our upcoming CLA 2025 Report Card will address some of the current issues with dance education, not least the lack of available data which is routinely recorded for other arts subjects. The data for dance is not captured in England in relation to ITT recruitment; unfilled vacancies for Arts teachers; or the vacancy rate for Arts teachers, and One Dance UK reports a significant decline in subject experts working in schools running parallel to the erosion of dance as an educational subject. Look out for on this on the latest edition of our Report Card next month …
ARTS UNIVERSITY COURSES AND STAFF CUTS CONTINUE
Cuts to university courses are continuing, led by a recent announcement at Cardiff University and the decision to close its School of Music, as well as major cuts to other subjects. Other universities facing cuts and job losses in the news include Newcastle, Kent, Tayside, Bangor, and Dundee.
Our 2025 Report Card (due for publication in March) will present more detailed information on progression to Higher Education for Creative, Arts and Design subjects, and will reveal some detailed statistics which add to our broader story about arts engagement and access to arts opportunities and courses for all children and young people
UK YOUTH SUMMER JOBS PROGRAMME FUNDING
UK Youth have launched their Summer Jobs Programme which provides funding to organisations to help young people aged 16-20 who may be at risk of violence to gain skills and build confidence.
The programme will support a range of employers, including arts organisations and charities, to offer mentorship, guidance and supervision alongside the support of a dedicated youth worker. All young people participating in the programme will be paid weekly in line with the National Living Wage. The 2025 programme will be running in the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, South Wales and London. The programme is open for expressions of interest by organisations.
There is a great deal of evidence that arts experiences and opportunities provide many personal and societal benefits for young people, spanning empathy, agency, wellbeing, communication, creativity and collaboration, so it would be good to see arts organisations with experience of youth engagement programmes participating in the scheme this summer.
PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION IS RECRUITING …
Our wonderful funder, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, is looking for a full-time Grants Manager for its Arts Education funds – the Arts-based Learning Fund and the Teacher Development Fund. The closing date is 17 March. For full details see here.
CULTURAL SECTOR NEWS
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES £270M FOR CULTURAL SECTOR
This has been a busy month for government announcements about culture, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy saying that “Arts and culture help us understand the world we live in, they shape and define society and are enjoyed by people in every part of our country. They are the building blocks of our world-leading creative industries and make a huge contribution towards boosting growth and breaking down barriers to opportunities for young people to learn the creative skills they need to succeed.”
£270m for arts venues, museums, libraries and the heritage sector
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has announced a £270m funding package – the Arts Everywhere Fund – to boost access to arts and culture across the country. As part of the Plan for Change, this investment aims to support local economies, create jobs, and help young people develop creative skills.
Key funding initiatives for the next financial year:
- £85m Creative Foundations Fund for urgent capital works in cultural venues and a £25m Museum Estate and Development Fund (5th round) to help local museums with infrastructure projects and maintenance
- £20m Museum Renewal Fund to support civic museums, protect jobs, and maintain opening hours and a £15m Heritage at Risk fund to restore local heritage buildings like shops, pubs, parks, and town halls
- £5.5m Libraries Improvement Fund (4th round) to upgrade public libraries and enhance technology and a £4.85m Heritage Revival Fund to help community organisations restore and manage heritage buildings
- £120m Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund to support essential works in national cultural institutions
- A 5% budget increase for national museums and galleries to boost their financial resilience and public access
Of particular interest for CLA is news of £3.2m for four cultural education programmes: the Museums and Schools Programme, Heritage Schools Programme, Art & Design National Saturday Club, and BFI Film Academy to help children and young people develop creative skills.
£67m for 10 UK culture projects
The Government also announced a £67m investment in 10 major cultural projects across the UK, aiming to boost regional growth, create jobs and showcase the UK as a world leader in culture and tourism. Several projects will also contribute to housing development and commercial growth, in addition to skills, and new jobs, reinforcing long-term economic regeneration.
The list includes £10m for the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum in Liverpool to expand and maintain these institutions as part of the Liverpool Waterfront redevelopment; £5m for the City Centre Cultural Gateway in Coventry to repurpose the former IKEA building into a cultural and visitor attraction; £10m for Venue Cymru in Conwy, Wales to modernise the largest arts centre in Wales outside of Cardiff; and £2.6m for the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in Dundee, Scotland to expand and re-curate the Scottish Design Galleries.
Comment
CLA welcomes this continued support for the cultural sector and in particular the continuation of £3.2m funding for the four existing education programmes. It also welcomes the focus within this funding on the film sector, as we have long called for the inclusion of film and digital media within Expressive Arts education in schools.
The investment will help to preserve access to visual art, film, museums and heritage, but we note that just 1.2% of the total £270m Arts Everywhere Fund is dedicated specifically to arts and cultural education, and also that no new funding has been allocated to expand access to arts and culture for children and young people.
The bulk of the support represents a valuable contribution towards cultural infrastructure but comes at a time when much of our arts education infrastructure has been eroded by previous governments. As we say in our Blueprint for an arts-rich education, we need a commitment to ensuring that the cultural sector as a whole can respond strategically to meet the needs of young people in schools and their communities, and is resourced to do so. We don’t yet see that happening through the four education funding strands just announced – which span museums, heritage, Art & Design and film but do not include Dance, Drama or Music (although the latter is supported through other initiatives such as Music Hubs).
We hope that when the Curriculum and Assessment Review publishes its recommendations later this year, there can be some alignment across a revaluing of Expressive Arts education in schools – and how the cultural sector can actively support this work.
REVIEW OF ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND
Following the appointment of Baroness Hodge of Barking to conduct an independent review of the Arts Council England (ACE), the membership of the Advisory Panel featuring experts from across the creative sectors has been announced. Baroness Hodge will provide the government with a comprehensive report of her findings, alongside recommendations for change in the Autumn of 2025. The government will publish the conclusions of the review along with the government’s response in 2026. The Advisory Panel Members are:
- Helen Bowdur: Arts Fundraising Consultant and Vice Chair of the Octagon Theatre, Bolton and Buxton Opera House
- Dave Moutrey OBE: Director of Culture and Creative Industries at Manchester City Council, and Chair of Theatres Trust
- Stella Kanu: CEO of Shakespeare’s Globe and the Mayor of London’s representative to Arts Council England
- Paul Callaghan CBE, DL, FRSA: co-founder and the Chair of The Leighton Group, and the Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust
- Samir Savant: Chief Executive, St George’s Bristol. 25 years’ experience in senior roles at national and regional cultural organisations, with a special focus on philanthropy, audience development and mentoring
- Laura Pye: Director of National Museums Liverpool (NML) and soon to be Chair of the National Museum Directors Council
- Pawlet Brookes MBE: founder, CEO and Artistic Director of Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage in Leicester
The review has published its terms of reference in four sections: Purpose and Structure; Activity and Decision Making; Relationships and Partnerships; and Relations with Government.
Children and young people are mentioned specifically in the Activity and Decision-making section: “How far ACE responds to the views, desires and demands of diverse organisations, groups and people, including both those who are funded and are not funded by ACE. These include: Members of the public, including children and young people, who may benefit from and contribute to creative and cultural activity in England – particularly those in the most deprived parts of the United Kingdom.”
The only specific mention of education comes under the Relationships and Partnerships section: “How ACE works with other agencies, local education providers such as Universities and Further Education colleges, and with Family Hubs, to promote and enhance the nation’s engagement in creativity, and support creative education across all age ranges.” Schools are not specifically mentioned.
The Call for Evidence will close at midday on 24 April and the review team has launched a questionnaire. It’s introduction states that “This Review is an opportunity for a national conversation about the future of Arts Council England and how creativity is nurtured and developed in the future.”
The Government is supporting the review to ensure that funding is distributed fairly and effectively across the arts and culture sectors. In addition, it has extended the tenure of Chair of Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, by 18 months to maintain stability during the review process.
They say this is an opportunity to help shape the review and influence the future of Arts Council England and that they want to hear from anyone who has an interest in or a view about the operation of the Arts Council England and what it delivers: “From the users of the art forms ACE funds, through creative practitioners, freelancers, national, local or community-based organisations and institutions, all views will be welcomed.”
CLA is disappointed that the Advisory Panel has no specific representation from the arts education or youth sector and hopes that CLA members will be responding to the Review. We will be making a full response to the Review as it pertains to children’s and young people’s arts opportunities and experiences, and we will share more on this in next month’s newsletter.
£60M CASH BOOST FOR CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
Hundreds of creative businesses and projects across the UK are to receive government funding to help them grow as part of a major boost to the economy – marking the first step of the Government’s Sector Plan for the creative industries.
As part of its modern Industrial Strategy, the Culture Secretary set out how the Government will work together with the sector to increase growth and investment, starting with a £60 million package of government support. This includes investments for start-up video game studios, grassroots music venues and creative businesses to boost British music and film exports, which will facilitate investment and innovation in communities, in turn supporting businesses and employment.
It was also announced that the priority regions for the Creative Industries are the North East, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, Greater London, West of England, South Wales, Glasgow, Edinburgh-Dundee corridor, and Belfast. Alongside this, the Government will provide additional funding, to be agreed as part of the Spending Review, to six Mayoral Combined Authorities: the North East, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, and West of England).
CLA welcomes this new investment. However, our upcoming 2025 Report Card will make clear that you don’t get a trained and diverse creative industries workforce without valuing the arts in our education system so that there are progression routes for young creatives. Similarly, you don’t get curricular (or extra-curricular) Arts in schools without Expressive Arts teaching workforce who have studied arts subjects throughout their education. There has be a joined-up approach to this vital continuum of provision if the creative industries are to flourish, and not become increasingly the preserve of those who have been educated in the independent sector.
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
This debate took place on 27 January and covered a range of issues associated with the creative industries. A number of contributions were made in relation to the arts in schools – and two MPs cited CLA evidence to make their case. The full debate can be found in the link to Hansard.
Chris Bryant, Minister for Cultural Industry, Arts and Tourism referenced the fact that Albert Finney and Glenda Jackson were born on the same day and asked where: “Where are the Albert Finneys and Glenda Jacksons of the future? … we will have failed so many of our young people if the only schools that provide a real creative education, in art, music or drama, are the Etons of this country, and we will not have the creative industries we need.”
He went on to say that “Only by restoring culture’s place in the classroom and beyond will we be able to get young people ready for the creative jobs of tomorrow.”
Max Wilkinson MP (Liberal Democrats) said: “It is well known that changes to policy in the past decade or so have diminished arts education in state schools, with more than 40% of schools now no longer entering students for GCSE music or drama, and almost 90% not offering GCSE dance. Universities are also scaling back their arts offerings. The Liberal Democrats would restore arts subjects to the core of the curriculum, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to study music, dance, drama and the visual arts”.
Another Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Kohler, also used CLA evidence to assert that: “Over the past decade, the Conservatives cut access to the arts in schools, with consistent de-prioritisation of creative arts in the curriculum, and budget cuts. Access to arts education is not a luxury; it should be viewed as a right. Every child, regardless of background, deserves the chance to explore their creative potential. Currently, however, that is simply not the case.”
Kohler went on to state that: “There are fewer specialist teachers than ever before … and fewer and fewer students are studying the expressive arts to later stages of their education … That is not due to a lack of demand .. Arts education is an investment worth making.”
CLA is pleased to see that our Report Card data means that political debate on arts and cultural learning can be informed by detailed evidence, and we look forward to sharing the next edition with politicians and stakeholders across the arts and education sectors next month.
CREATIVE SCOTLAND FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT
Creative Scotland has announced its latest multi-year funding decisions. Their key points are:
- A record number of cultural organisations to receive stable, year-on-year funding to deliver culture and creativity for Scotland’s people
- All organisations in the portfolio, currently funded by Creative Scotland to receive a significant uplift after years of standstill funding
- An additional 141 organisations will receive a multi-year funding commitment for the first time
- 153 organisations in the portfolio (61%) work with and for children and young people
- Significant increase in community-focused organisations being supported, alongside established cultural organisations, better representing Scotland’s geography and diversity
- Overall funding to the portfolio will increase further in 2026/27
- This cultural shift has been made possible thanks to a significant budget commitment from the Scottish Government
Robert Wilson, Chair of Creative Scotland said: “This is an extremely positive moment for culture in Scotland, bringing with it a renewed sense of stability and certainty to Scotland’s culture sector. Thanks to the vote of confidence in the culture sector, demonstrated by the recently announced budget from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland can offer stable, year-on-year funding to more organisations than ever before.”
CLA is interested in hearing from colleagues in Scotland about the impact of these funding decisions on work with children and young people. In England, we know very little about the funding for creative and cultural activity for young people through the Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations – except that when the current NPOs were announced, the portfolio was described as representing a 20% increase in CYP funding, and that 79% of the portfolio was delivering work for this audience. We would love to know more about the impact of this support through the 2023-26 Investment Programme.
TWO NEW SURVEYS …
News of two new surveys commissioned by Arts Council England: The first is part of an evaluation of the impact of Artsmark, the scheme that was launched in 2001 which that recognises schools’ commitment to creativity. They are particularly interested in schools’ partnership skills and their ability to work effectively with cultural practitioners. They hope that the evaluation will help to shape the future of the scheme.
If you work with schools, they are inviting you to complete this survey, commissioned from Cairns Crump. The deadline for completion has been extended to 10 March, and findings will be shared with anyone who completed it. CLA would welcome the opportunity to learn more about Artsmark – its reach, its impact and its ambitions and funding for the future.
Meanwhile, the Group for Education in Museums (GEM) and Arts Council England have commissioned research on children and young people’s engagement with museums. GEM has set up a survey and is calling for contributions by the end of March 2025. CLA is encouraging all those of its members who work in museums delivering programmes as staff or as freelancers to take part.
