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Cultural leaders offer fresh thinking on UK's creativity

wcommission2.jpgToday the Warwick Commission on the Future of Cultural Value has launched a major report on 'Enriching Britain: Culture, Creativity and Growth'.

In November 2013, Warwick launched a one-year Commission, chaired by Vikki Heywood CBE, to undertake a comprehensive and holistic investigation into the future of cultural value. A group of cultural leaders, supported by academics at Warwick, were invited to gather together the evidence and arguments to create a blueprint for the future of investment and engagement in our cultural lives. The Commission’s report brings together the findings of a series of public and private meetings with artists, creative and cultural professionals, economists, business leaders and other stakeholders, backed up by targeted research.

wcommision1.jpgIntroducing the report, the Commission’s Chair, Vikki Heywood CBE said:

The key message from this report is that the government and the cultural and creative industries need to take a united and coherent approach that guarantees equal access for everyone to a rich cultural education and the opportunity to live a creative life. There are barriers and inequalities in Britain today that prevent this from being a universal human right. This is bad for business and bad for society.”

The report argues that the Cultural and Creative Industries are one entity, an ecosystem, which is becoming increasingly important to British life, the British Economy, and Britain’s place in the world. However, we are failing to build on our strengths as a creative nation, or realise an acceptable degree of access and participation. The report reminds us that the Cultural and Creative Industries are the fastest growing industry in the UK, with the Gross Value Added of the sector estimated as £76.9 billion in 2013, representing 5% of the UK economy.

Sally Bacon, Director, Clore Duffield Foundation and founding member of the Cultural Learning Alliance, said:

The Cultural Learning Alliance welcomes this report and is delighted to see the Commission taking on board its recommendations. Every child has an entitlement to culture and should experience an arts-rich curriculum. The levers to deliver this must be put in place through Ofsted, an Arts and Culture Pupil Premium, STEAM, Artsmark and other key interventions. We know what needs to happen and we risk failing a generation of children unless all those involved act swiftly and collaboratively to take these recommendations forward.”

Read the full press release and get a copy of the report