First published: April 4 2025, on LinkedIn
More stark data was published yesterday by the Cultural Learning Alliance about the systemic devaluing of the arts in English state secondary schools – particularly in places with the highest levels of deprivation. In the Annual Report Card 2025 the CLA shares evidence about the glaring arts entitlement gap that’s only getting wider.
We all need to care about this: whether we’re a parent or a young person, an educational professional or simply someone who has a social conscience.
Why this is a social justice issue
In many and varied ways, drama, music, visual arts and dance help young people to improve their lives, their learning, and all that they can be; in and out of school; now and in the future. They help young people to understand themselves and the world, and explore and unlock their potential. That’s every young person, not just a talented few.
And it’s yet another area where young people from wealthier backgrounds have far greater opportunities than their peers from lower-income backgrounds.
What’s happening, this ‘arts entitlement gap’, is simply perpetuating class privilege. And in a world where the gap between rich and poor seems to be opening up like a canyon, we can’t afford to let this happen.
Why this is a communications issue too
Those of us in the arts aren’t – always – very skilled at framing the conversation about the value of the arts, using consistent messages and clear and concise language (what do we mean by arts, expressive arts, culture, creativity … that’s for another blog!).
So it’s a good starting point to have some clear, concise ‘key messages’ from CLA – seven distinct and evidenced benefits of studying Expressive Arts subjects:
· 💪 agency
· 🧘 wellbeing
· 🔄 communication
· 💜 empathy
· 🤝 collaboration
· 💡creativity
· 🧠interpretation (or critical thinking)
They may not be the exact words we’d all choose. Maybe they need adapting (they don’t make an easy-to-remember mnemonic). But our advocacy work will be far more powerful if we all use them, and reinforce them at every opportunity. The more consistent the messages, the more people – including those with the power to effect change – are likely to remember and act on them.
As Sally Bacon OBE says in Arts Professional, “We have tried to clarify exactly why this inequity matters. We are building a shared language for how we talk about what the arts do, and the impact they can have on young people’s lives so that we can robustly communicate the value and impact of an arts-rich education … We are taking decades of evidence and research and using it to reframe the value of arts education.”
Photo by AXP Photography on Unsplash
Additional information, 3 June 2025:
Sutton Trust have published data on access to opportunity for disadvantaged young people – “Just 8 of the top 50 constituencies providing the best opportunities for disadvantaged young people are outside of London. The North East and North West are overrepresented among the lowest ranked areas.” London is miles ahead of other regions in providing best opportunities for the poorest young people.
https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/the-opportunity-index/