The knowledge, skill and experience made possible by the performing and visual arts, film, museums, libraries, heritage and exploring the built environment, are essential to young people’s development. Through cultural learning, young people are encouraged to explore other cultures, past and present, and inspired to contribute to the arts and culture of the future.
Celebration and a call to arms
ImagineNation is a celebration of this important work, and a call to arms for everyone in education and the arts in the UK today. Every effort must be made to halt the erosion of the arts as an essential pillar in the structure of education, and to ensure that all children are the recipients of a broad and balanced education.
We need to support our schools and settings, many of which are struggling under the weight of complex bureaucracies and competing agendas.
One of the ways to make the case for the arts is to deploy the arguments and evidence in this document. They show that the arts and culture are not an add-on, or a nice-to-have, but are part of the fabric of our society, and that young people have a right to experience the best, and to be given the opportunity to make their own contribution to the continual reshaping of our civilization.
We must celebrate our successes, build best practice, and learn from each other; in challenging times, it is up to us to be the champions of young people’s hopes, talent and ideas.
A host of leaders have come together to add their voices to the debate and make a truly powerful case for the value of cultural learning. You can see the full list at the beginning of the publication.
Read the full report