Promoting the arts for children

It has been argued that cultural policymakers in the UK should be doing more to promote arts activity outside of the classroom, through the education system as well as encouraging the arts among preschool aged children. The report by King’s College London examines government policy over the past 70 years in an attempt to make “better informed, more effective policy” for the future of the arts. By encouraging young people to engage in the arts, it is hoped that this interest - and perhaps even passion for the arts - will continue into adult life. The research was provoked by a realisation that cultural policy is usually made without an understanding of or reference to what has been attempted before, effectively starting from scratch each time a policy is produced. It is clear that this knowledge is vital in order to promote and sustain the arts for the future. The research has led King’s to make a number of recommendations for policymakers such as Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The recommendations include paying greater attention to arts engagement for very young children, as it suggests that it is during the first three years that children acquire the social and emotional skill set that enables them to reach their full potential; more arts activity outside the education system; and greater focus on international models that will inform and educate countries across the world that are facing similar policy challenges to the UK. It is clear the arts, and engagement in them, have real value for young people in particular, so providing access to this is vital. Despite this, it is ironic that the school curriculum is the preferred way to provide encounters with the subject that opposes formal and institutional learning, so it is hoped the report's recommendations will address the gap in arts engagement between those who have high levels of education and affluence, and those who do not.