Children and young people

A new partnership will "lift the curtain" on the the dance industry for students.

Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance will launch the new programme in February with a series of pre-show talks and workshops for dancers and company staff.

They aim to inspire young dancers and deepen their understanding and appreciation of ballet as an art form.

The academy's Artistic Director Gerard Charles says there is "so much more to studying ballet than simply learning the steps".

"We are all part of a large dance community that includes beginners, experienced dancers and teachers, and we learn from each other. I cannot wait to see how our dancers and teachers benefit from this amazing opportunity."

Wales' action plan for creative learning has been extended until March 2025.

Since its launch in 2015, 84% of Welsh schools have engaged with the creative curriculum, creating 238,000 opportunities for learners.

The Welsh Government will announce curriculum reforms next year that are expected to include expressive arts as one of six core pillars.

Arts Council of Wales Director of Arts Engagement Diane Hebb said the three year extension will support arts-rich experiences in school. 

“The achievements of the programme to date have been extraordinary and evidence continues to show that the impact has been transformational for learners, teachers and schools, and indeed for artists alike.”

ABRSM has reported a "seismic" shift towards digital music learning.

64% of children use digital resources to make music, according to the music board's Making Music 2021 report.

Whilst 59% of children and 27% of adults surveyed currently play an instrument, 86% and 43% respectively said they are making music, suggesting a trend towards online tools.

Despite increases in digital participation, 11% fewer children are taking instrumental lessons at schools than in 2014.

Finance remains a barrier to participation. People from wealthier households are 1.4 times more likely to play a musical instrument, with 25% of children and 18% of adults who never played an instrument saying this was due to expense.

The music sector must work to overcome “fundamental and deep-seated barriers” that stop people accessing music, ABSRM Chief Executive Chris Cobb commented.
 

A new gallery at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds will take "a unique public health led approach to tackle the underlying causes of violent crime".

The project with the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit of specialists across police, health, education, justice and youth services is due to open in January. 

It will feature Operation Jemlock - a police operation that confiscated hundreds of weapons and led to some 6,000 arrests over the past year. The partners also plan to work with community groups to tell real-life stories of youth violence.

The unit's director Chief Superintendent Jackie Marsh said engagement is crucial to long-term improvements in violent crime rates.

Dr Edward Impey, Director General & Master of the Armouries, said the institution shows how human experience is shaped by arms and armour to this day: "This is not a purely historical matter."

‘At the Sharp End: Tackling Violent Crime Together in West Yorkshire’ will be exhibited for six months and is expected to engage more than 100,000 people before touring the wider region.

There are ambitions for a new youth theatre in West Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire’s new Culture, Arts and Creative Industries Committee convened for the first time last week (November 4) to discuss the region’s cultural recovery.

Led by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, the cultural board discussed plans for a “theatre without walls” to include a Yorkshire Youth Theatre.

“We might not be able to have a national theatre, but we can have a Yorkshire Theatre that would be made up of Yorkshire voices, Yorkshire stories, Yorkshire writers and Yorkshire talent," Brabin said.

The committee also considered a Town of Culture competition, previously suggested by former Shadow Culture Secretary Brabin.

Its next meeting is scheduled for January.

Yat-Sen Chang, a former principal dancer at English National Ballet, has been sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for sexually abusing young dancers.

He was convicted on 13 counts and cleared of one offence in May.

Four students aged 16 to 18 were affected over a seven year period.

Prosecutors at Isleworth Crown Court said Chang believed his fame and status would protect him. He continues to deny the allegations.

English National Ballet has said it will review its safeguarding practices in light of the case.

A petition urging the Government to keep manifesto promises around arts funding for young people has received more than 20,000 signatures online.

The petition comes ahead of Wednesday’s (October 27) Spending Review, which is expected to answer questions surrounding a £270m arts premium for secondary schools first promised in March 2020, and Arts Council England's budget.

Former Schools Minister Nick Gibb said last month that £90m of arts-in-schools funding earmarked for 2021 was under review.

Petition leaders Public Campaign for the Arts are also asking the Government to move ahead on a promised £500m Youth Investment Fund.

The group says youth centres and services facing mounting financial pressures are still waiting to receive any of the fund, first promised in 2019.