News

Music Education Plan: The Power of Music to Change Lives published

The Music Education Plan was published on the 25 June. This non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) aims to ‘help support more schools and teachers to improve their provision and deliver better outcomes.’ and links to the DfE model music curriculum published last year.

Key points to note are that DfE is saying schools ‘should’ have a designated music lead, offer one hour of music a week and they ‘would like’ schools to have a Music Development Plan. This is a nudge for schools but stops short of making them requirements.

Music Hubs do have some new responsibilities which they must provide:

• Music Progression Fund to support pupils experiencing disadvantage, with match funding from government
• Lead Schools to work with Music Hubs to provide CPD
• Four Music Hub centres of excellence for inclusion

We'll be bringing you a piece on this later in July with full policy analysis of the Plan. In the meantime do look at the analysis of the plan and resources from Music Mark, and coverage from Schools Week, Musicians’ Union and ISM.

Recommendations for policy makers from the Centre for Cultural Value

The Centre for Cultural Value have been continuing their activity with a report published in May with 12 recommendations for policy makers which seeks to translate the Centre’s findings from the Culture in Crisis report into evidence-led recommendations to support the recovery and rebuilding of the sectors.

There are four key recommendations for us; given the high number of freelancers working to deliver cultural learning programmes across the UK; the role of arts education in delivering a range of outcomes; and the importance of delivering activity that is representative of children and young people’s culture and lived experience:

• Develop a comprehensive strategy to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in the creative and cultural sectors
• Appoint a ‘Commissioner for Freelancers’
• Develop a national ‘Freelance Charter’ for the creative economy
• Commission further research into the role of the creative and cultural sector in supporting local socioeconomic needs

You can read more about the work, and the detail of each of these recommendations in Culture in Crisis Recommendations For Policymakers

The report invites anyone who would like to discuss any of the policy recommendations or discuss how you or your organisation might implement them to contact Culture Commons at contact@culturecommons.uk

Gulbenkian Foundation Arts in Schools – think piece and roundtables

40 years ago the Gulbenkian Foundation published Arts in Schools which resulted in key changes in the cultural learning landscape, including a clearer recognition of the importance of arts in local authority education teams.

A new Arts in Schools conversation has been started this year to examine the value of arts education and creativity for young people today and consider what a new set of recommendations could look like. A think piece has been published and a series of roundtables are being held.

The project is asking colleagues to read the think piece and answer the questions:

• What has been lost?
• What do we need to protect?
• What would our recommendations be today?

Responses are invited via this online form by the 31 July.

DTEA Seize the day - tell decision makers about the importance of drama and theatre education

The Drama and Theatre Education Alliance (DTEA) are inviting schools to sign up to Seize the day 2023. Seize the day is a chance to tell decision makers about the importance of drama and theatre education. In 2023 it will be a week-long celebration of co-ordinated events led by schools, theatre companies and practitioners, who will invite their local MP and press to visit them and witness their experience. To find out more and get involved see the DTEA website and register.

Invitation to Youth Learning Through Arts seminar, Brussels

The Erasmus+ project Youth Learning Through Arts (YLTA) is coordinated by the Association of Finnish Children’s Cultural Centers. The project partners will be presenting findings from their project in Brussels on 5 September 14.00-16.30 and are inviting CLA members to join them in Brussels for the free seminar. For more information, and to register to attend fill in this form. 

Study into the impact of the Durham Commission: survey ask

As part of a two-year study funded by Durham University evaluating of the impact of the Durham Commission on Creativity and Education Report, Durham University’s School of Education is asking those working in cultural education to fill in a survey.

The aim of the study is to understand engagement with the Durham Commission on Creativity and Education Report. They want to understand the response to the recommendations and potential barriers to implementing them. Findings will be published Autumn 2024.