The Chamberlain News

Council issues culture pledge: ‘High quality arts provision for all children’

All children and young people in Birmingham should have the opportunity to experience “high quality arts and cultural provision as audience members, participants, creators and leaders”, according to a radical new strategy.

The city council’s Creative Future pledge, which aims to improve access to and raise the quality of arts and culture for people in Birmingham from the moment they are born to the age of 25 is out for consultation.

Working alongside the Youth Promise launched earlier this month it reflects an increasing emphasis on supporting young people into training and employment.

The commitment comes at a time when council-led arts and culture provision is under threat from public spending cuts. Labour city councillors meet this weekend to plan next year’s budget with spending on libraries, museums and events under threat.

Creative Future promises that:

• All children and young people should have the opportunity to experience high quality arts and cultural provision as audience members, participants, creators and leaders.
• All children and young people should have access to high quality cultural education in schools and other educational settings.
• All children and young people should have access to and understanding of a clear progression pathway for broadening and deepening arts and cultural engagement from 0 – 25 years.
• All children and young people should have access to high quality creative careers advice, education and guidance and support for accessing employment opportunities within the creative industries, in support of the Youth Promise.
• All children and young people should have the opportunity to receive recognition and accreditation for their achievements within the arts.
• All children and young people should be able to have a meaningful voice in cultural planning and provision in Birmingham.

Cllr Penny Holbrook, cabinet member for skills, learning and culture, said: “This all began with the Youth Arts Summit last year when hundreds of young people had the opportunity to let us know directly what they thought about arts and culture provision in the city.

“We want young people to have a real voice in the cultural planning of their city and we are asking the whole city to sign up to this pledge; every organisation with a role in supporting young people’s cultural participation can help us to develop, deliver and communicate a whole city action plan. This is about everyone working together; a civic approach.”