Call to ensure all children can participate in the arts

Date: 4th September 2020
Category: Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

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A group of organisations and artists have revisited a 2018 campaign which called on Scottish Government to ensure all children can participate in high quality, innovative arts experiences from the earliest age. The organisations fear that fiscal pressures due to COVID-19 may result in reduced funding for arts and creative organisations and initiatives which benefit children.

The current campaign builds upon Startcatchers’ involvement in Children in Scotland’s 25 Calls campaign in 2018. Starcatchers highlighted the importance of access to arts and creativity for all children in Call 24. This asked Scottish Government and Scotland’s local authorities to ensure arts and creativity are embedded into communities and children’s education.

Startcatchers has now been joined by 11 other organisations to progress this call. In their latest statement, the organisations highlight that throughout the pandemic, arts and creative initiatives, such as rainbows in windows and group singing in the streets, have been integral to children’s resilience and wellbeing. 

The organisations are now calling for Scottish Government to take urgent and ambitious action to ensure artists and creative practitioners form part of the core team around every child in Scotland. Artists have been working with children mainly as freelancers on short-term projects and the campaigning organisations fear that the economic impact of COVID-19 may result in a reduction of funding for such projects.

• Read the updated statement here.