News – Creative Partnerships under threat

The future of Creative Partnerships (CP), the three-year £100m government-funded scheme to develop creative education initiatives in schools in 36 of Englands most deprived regions, hangs in the balance and its future will depend on the outcome of the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.
When Creative Partnerships was established, it was envisaged that the scheme would ultimately be rolled out much more widely across the country, but the schemes National Director, Paul Collard, has confirmed, &we dont currently have the resources, financial or human, or the remit to do so. So we are in discussion with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Education and Skills to see whether additional resources can be found. Until we know their answer, there is nothing we can do to extend the reach of the programme. Meanwhile, Creative Partnerships and the Curriculum is the subject of a new inquiry by Parliaments Education and Skills Committee (ESC). The inquiry is examining areas such as creativity in the context of education, the effect of creative initiatives on teachers and the impact a creative curriculum might have on pupil motivation. The appointment of the ESC to the inquiry, as opposed to a DCMS committee, is thought to be highly significant, with the potential to push creativity in education up the political agenda. Submissions to the ESC inquiry can be made through the parliamentary website.

w: http://www.parliament.uk/edskills/