New campaign aims to put arts at the heart of teaching in schools

A new campaign is seeking to put arts subjects at the heart of teaching in British schools.

The Arts and Minds campaign has been devised by a coalition of 20 national organisations, led by the National Education Union (NEU) alongside The Musicians’ Union, Equity and the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD).

It is supported by ambassadors that include the comedian Steve Coogan, poet and former children’s laureate Michael Rosen, and Turner Prize winning artist Helen Cammock.

Sarah Kilpatrick, the president of the NEU and an art teacher for almost 20 years, said: “The lack of support for creative subjects has two main drivers: lack of funding and the reduced status of the arts.

“But the arts make us who we are. Not only do they contribute significantly to the UK economy, they open minds and communities.

“Creativity is central to the human experience and it is more important than ever that we support and invest in the arts.”

The campaign has outlined five key policy recommendations, including the right to study arts/creative subjects at school, a restoration of the status of arts subjects in schools, and an end to “exam factory culture” at primary school level.

Speaking at the campaign’s launch at Tate Modern, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “We’ve seen culture and creativity erased from many of our communities and as a government we are absolutely determined to rebuild that whole ecosystem.”