The fifth in the series, and published in partnership with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, this Briefing outlines the evidence on why access to an arts education is a social justice issue. Research suggests studying the arts improves children’s life chances, their health and employability, and develops active citizens who contribute to our society.
At a time when the number of hours the arts are taught in England's secondary schools are declining, and surveys show that schools in more deprived areas are more likely to be cutting arts subjects than those in wealthy neighbourhoods, we believe access to the arts has become a social justice issue. If studying the arts provides an uplift to life chances we cannot risk a generation of young people losing out. We need the arts for every child.