Over August, we asked the group to formulate their own creative response to the report and the conversations we’d had in the summer term. These responses, which took the form of essays, poems, manifestos, illustrations, music, and speeches, were drawn upon for the new Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future report by Pauline Tambling and Sally Bacon, who also attended some of our workshops with the young people to better understand their experiences.

We’re delighted that these responses – each a unique perspective on this urgent conversation – are now being shared for the first time on the A New Direction website. We invite you to read, listen to, and enjoy these unaltered and unabridged responses from young people with a first-hand experience of the current state of the arts in schools.