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Welcome to the Cultural Learning Alliance

17 March 2010

In 2009 we undertook a national consultation on culture and learning in the 21st century, culminating in the report

Get It: The Power of Cultural Learning, 2009. One of the ten recommendations in that report was that the cultural and learning sectors come together to form a Cultural Learning Alliance to develop and advocate a coherent national strategy for cultural learning.Over the last decade we've seen growth in opportunities for children and young people to access culture. Many schools are working more closely with cultural organisations and individuals, and many cultural organisations are making learning more central to their core programmes. We have seen the emergence of large national programmes like Creative Partnerships and Find Your Talent, both of which improve access to cultural learning.So why do we need a Cultural Learning Alliance? Despite this shared commitment across education and culture, and a growing body of evidence that supports the huge impact cultural learning can have, we - that is, everyone who is committed to an entitlement to culture for all children and young people - need to speak more clearly with one voice. We need to gather and use the evidence we have more effectively. We need to make improvements to ensure that the workforce is adequately skilled and knowledgeable to deliver high-quality cultural learning. And we need our leaders - in schools, Local Authorities, cultural organisations and central government - to ensure that access is available in equal measure, no matter where children live or what their background is.We hope this website will stimulate discussion, bring people together, and offer a shared platform for our many voices. Over the next 12 months the Alliance will also be working on a number of other recommendations from the consultation report.Thank you to everyone that has contributed to the site so far. We'd particularly like to thank Quentin Blake for creating our 'futurebaby', who will represent the Cultural Learning Alliance on Facebook and Twitter.So make sure you sign up, add to and comment on what we have here. And come back for a visit soon!