Centre for Young Lives report urges ‘Britain’s kids have got talent’ drive in schools to boost opportunity and stop the pipeline of pop stars, actors and creatives becoming the preserve of the well-off
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A new report is published today (Friday 14th March) by Child of the
North and the Centre for Young Lives, “An evidence-based approach
to creating a culture of inclusive opportunity through arts and
creativity”. It is the final report in the series of twelve Child
of the North/Centre for Young Lives reports focusing on how the
Government can put the life chances of young people at the heart of
policy making and delivery. The report celebrates the way that
Bradford is using...Request free trial
A new report is published today (Friday 14th March) by Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives, “An evidence-based approach to creating a culture of inclusive opportunity through arts and creativity”. It is the final report in the series of twelve Child of the North/Centre for Young Lives reports focusing on how the Government can put the life chances of young people at the heart of policy making and delivery. The report celebrates the way that Bradford is using its status as the 2025 ‘City of Culture' to drive forward evidence-based approaches to improving outcomes for all children. Today's report calls for a new era of creativity and the arts in schools as part of the Government's Opportunity Mission, to boost the creative economy and provide new opportunities to children whose talents risk being wasted. It says the success of the UK's cultural and creative industries is now seriously imperilled by this neglect and warns that the educational pipeline that supplied the infrastructure for professional music careers is severely restricted. The report calls for a cultural shift to create an inclusive education system with creativity at its heart as a way of boosting attainment, tackling the school attendance crisis, and providing the creative industries with the workforce they require. It argues schools should not merely be places of ‘reading, writing and maths' but places where young people can express themselves, explore diverse identities, and develop the critical thinking skills needed to thrive. While over 2m people are employed in the creative industries in the UK, and the cultural sector accounts for £31bn in gross value added to the UK economy, the report highlights the decline in creative subjects offered at GCSE and fall in extracurricular activity:
The report also argues that the evidence shows that schools which value inclusivity and belonging have a better understanding of their students, particularly those from minority backgrounds and those with SEND, leading to increased sense of school belonging and helping to tackle the current school attendance crisis. It includes new analysis showing the importance of an inclusive education system, revealing that children are over three times more likely to become Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) at 16-18 years when they disengage from the education system and are persistently absent from the classroom. A third (34%) of persistently absent children were identified as NEET, compared to just 9% of children who did not have such attendance issues. Previous reports have shown that unsupported Special Education Needs are likewise a major risk factor for children becoming NEET. This new analysis also shows that pupils attending faith schools, which often show increased ratings of a sense of belonging, have a 20% lower rate of NEET compared to pupils from non-faith schools. The report warns that entry into creative industry careers is grossly skewed by family background and educational experience, with factors such as ethnicity and gender adding further barriers. It highlights how working-class representation in the creative industries is at the lowest level for a decade. Just 8% of workers in TV and radio are from a working-class background and social mobility in these industries is getting worse. It makes recommendations to the Government in three key policy areas: cultivating creativity and critical thinking through inclusive education; increasing arts investment to create an inclusive education system; and enriching education by connecting schools to cultural institutions. Its proposals include:
The report also showcases innovative evidence-based approaches to boosting opportunities for children and young people including: Northumberland-based Mortal Fools who are co-creating compelling, socially relevant, and high-quality theatre, film, and creative projects led by children, young people, artists, producers, schools, arts venues, and communities. Participants and audiences often come from the kinds of backgrounds that are severely under-represented in the arts. Mortal Fools work with these young people and their communities in weekly, youth-led, deep-level engagements so they can engage with the lifelong benefits that engagement with different kinds of performance can bestow. It has seen astonishing results with vulnerable young people. Dance Action Zone Leeds (DAZL) is an inclusive community dance organisation based in Leeds that has made a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of children in the region. Each week, the organisation engages between 1,800 and 2,300 young people in a range of dance programmes. Located in some of the most deprived areas of Leeds, DAZL uses dance as a tool to combat health inequalities and improve physical and mental health among local children. DAZL's work is deeply rooted in community development, training local young people and adults as dance leaders. Alongside its community-based work, DAZL runs a dynamic within- and after-school programme that reaches a wider audience across Leeds. The Roundhouse in London is one of the most iconic performance venues in the country – and the largest provider of non-formal creative opportunities for young people in the UK. It works directly with over 10,000 young people every year, across its state-of-the-art, affordable Creative Studios, its award-winning, dedicated creative centre for freelancers and entrepreneurs Roundhouse Works (18-30s) within communities, and by offering online programmes. The venue provides access to high-quality creative opportunities – theatre, broadcast, animation, music, spoken word and audio – led by industry professionals across over 25 creative spaces available seven days per week. Projects are low-cost and affordable, and financial support is available. The Roundhouse offers a pipeline of diverse talent into music, film, broadcast, and audio. Alumni have won Oscars, performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, and worked at the BBC, Disney+, and global documentaries. House of Imagination (HOI) is a research-driven organisation that plays a pivotal role in transforming the way creativity is integrated into education. Focusing on children and young people's creative and critical thinking, HOI provides a unique platform where young minds collaborate with professional artists, enabling them to explore and develop their artistic potential. Through its innovative approach, HOI emphasises the importance of creative practices, not only as a tool for self-expression but as a crucial means of fostering a deeper connection with learning. It aims to create a space for children to shape their own lives through creative activities while also encouraging schools to evolve through professional development and school-based collaborations. Baroness Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said: “Britain's children have got talent - but we are often too slow to nurture it and we are frequently failing to harness the innate skills in our communities through our education system. This is hindering the ability of our country to flourish and thrive. “Many of our most successful musicians and bands have benefited from a rich, cultural, and creative education in the private school sector. We need to invest in boosting the opportunities of children in our state schools, from all backgrounds, as part of a bold ambition to develop truly inclusive education, support creativity throughout childhood and to tackle problems like the attendance crisis and attainment gap. “A career in the arts, music, and cultural industries must not become the preserve of only the most advantaged. Creativity and the expressive arts should be part and parcel of every child's education from primary school, not just a small minority. “This report provides evidence and proposals for how we can create more opportunities for all children to nurture and develop creative skills which are so important to growing our economy, and which would ensure we have a more diverse and thriving creative arts and music sector.” Dr Camilla Kingdon, Former President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “We cannot afford to continue to squander the innate talent that exists everywhere in our country. We must encourage our future Benjamin Zephaniahs, Ed Sheerans, and Bridget Rileys – we have a rich cultural heritage to nurture. We want a society where children of all abilities and talents can flourish. “That relies on creating an environment that enables a child to discover their hidden musical talent, or their under-developed dramatic skills, or their untapped artistic ability - and this cannot be reliant on having parents who have time and resources to nurture these talents. “We must have an education system that sees investment in art and creativity as equally important to languages and maths or science. There cannot be a hierarchy of talents - all of them are important and should be collectively nurtured by society.” Professor Mark Mon Williams, Child of The North report series editor, said: “The evidence is clear- embedding creative experiences in education has the power to boost social mobility, reduce inequalities, and equip children with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world and grow our economy. “This report provides a blueprint for ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has access to the transformative power of a creative educational experience. It could not be launched at a better time as Bradford takes centre stage as the UK City of Culture 2025 and commits to supporting the government's Opportunity Mission. “It is time to recognise that creativity is not an optional extra—it is a fundamental pillar of an inclusive, opportunity-rich society." Professor Simon J. James, Durham University, Executive report editor, said: “The evidence shows that every one of us is, or can be creative - but is the country doing all we can do to encourage all our children and young people to be creative, and to think creatively? There are profound economic and geographic inequalities in access to an education that develops creativity and creative thinking, inequalities which we need to address for the sake of all children, whatever their background, and wherever they grow up. “We need to ensure we are nurturing not only the stars of the future, but also, the orchestras, brass bands and music teachers so vital for the happiness and wellbeing of our communities – and the support that is needed begins in childhood. “The evidence shows starkly both how creativity is valued by multiple industries and employers, but also how it has been threatened and devalued in some parts of the education system. With a new government promising to put creativity at the heart of every British child's education, we need to act now.” ENDS Notes to editors:
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