Action plan to ‘take back control’ of creative education

A group of creative arts, education and local government representatives have agreed a set of actions intended “to take back control” of creative education.

The “clear action plan” was agreed following discussions at the Creative Education Summit in July, hosted by Birmingham City University at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Organisations supporting the initiative include the Crafts Council, the Royal College of Art, the Contemporary Visual Arts Network and a number of higher education bodies.

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The compact includes an agreement to “strengthen the links” between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and other government departments to determine how creative education can be a low-cost intervention to help tackle issues such as mental health, substance abuse and crime.

Delegates also pledged to “create a new vision and plan” for creative apprenticeships as an alternative route into the sector.

And they intend to “address equality, diversity and inclusion head-on”, rethinking the traditional portfolio as a standard way of assessing admission to courses.

Other agreed actions include building a well-connected “creatives ecosystem” that can share best practice and expertise across the UK, as well as an “advocacy army” to challenge the notion that creative subjects are “somehow inferior”.

The University Alliance said that the compact had been drawn up to make sure creative education is recognised as a “vital component” in providing the talent needed to grow “one of our most lucrative economic sectors”.

The agreement follows growing concern about cuts to the arts education. In May, it emerged that at least 14 universities were implementing redundancy programmes affecting arts degrees or closing creative courses. And in the same month, a group of 14 organisations, including the National Education Union and the Musicians’ Union, warned of a coming “arts apocalypse” in education.

Creative education manifesto

It builds on the Creative Education Manifesto published in autumn 2023, which includes calls to value the arts on the same level as STEM subjects, and support equality of access to culture.

At the same time as the summit, another report was published by GuildHE, arguing that creative graduates should be valued more highly for their “huge but hidden role in delivering for our economy and society”.

Professor David Mba, Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham City University, said that the recent summit “sets the roadmap towards creating a society that truly values the creatives and understands what creativity can bring to the nation”. 

Michele Gregson, General Secretary of the National Society for Education in Art and Design, said that “without decisive action from government, industry, and education creative education risks falling into the margins of the curriculum at the very time it is most needed”.

Vanessa Wilson, Chief Executive of the University Alliance, said that the compact “not only sets out measures for the new government, but also outlines how we as sector representatives can take back control of creative education”. 

She added: “Through this action we can ensure that generations to come can access high quality creative education as a basic right throughout their formative educational years.”