News and Policy brief / July 2011
19.07.2011
This month’s News and Policy Brief contains details of new government funds to encourage philanthropy, initiatives highlighting the educational and economic importance of design, including Crafts Council evidence to the Design Education Inquiry and updates on developments throughout the education sector, with a particularly rich selection of parliamentary questions on the latter. Read on for more policy news relevant to the contemporary craft sector.
Contents:
1) Sector News
- Philanthropy
- Design
- Creative Industries Council
2) Central Government
- The Future of FE
- E-Bac Statistics
3) Publications and Tools
- Achieving Great Art for Everyone
- CASE tool for Culture and Heritage
- The Further Education and Skills sector 2020
- Culture Global
- Youth Arts Transform Lives
4) In Parliament
- In the Commons
- In the Lords
- Made By Britain Launch
1) Sector News
Philanthropy:
As we reported in December, Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Sport and the Olympics announced an £80 million fund and a ten-point action plan to help stimulate arts philanthropy. Last month saw the announcement of details on how this fund will be managed by Arts Council England (ACE) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
See the DCMS website for the initial funding announcement.
Catalyst Arts
On 29 June, ACE provided details of the Catalyst Arts fund, which is designed to support arts organisations across the country to raise funds. There will be three funding streams. In summary:
- £30 million of Lottery funds will form an integrated match-funding and capacity building scheme aimed at increasing arts organisations’ ability to fundraise.
- £7 million of Lottery funds invested in a one-off grant scheme will support arts organisations with less experience to build their fundraising capacity.
- £3 million of Lottery funds will be invested in making available practical advice on how to secure new sources of funding.
More from ACE here.
Endowment Fund
In a speech on 4 July, Jeremy Hunt provided details of a separate £55 million Endowment Fund scheme for arts organisations aimed at generating endowments.
As part of this, Hunt announced an additional £20 million contribution from HLF, bringing the initial £80 million fund to £100 million.
More from DCMS on the Endowment Fund here.
More from the HLF on the Endowment Fund here.
Digital R&D Fund for Arts and Culture
As we reported last month, ACE and NESTA have initiated an R&D fund to support arts organisations in using digital technologies to expand audience reach and develop new business models. The deadline for applications is 2 September.
More details on the fund and how to apply here.
Design:
There have been a number of recent initiatives in the design sector to underline the educational and economic value of design.
Design Education
The Crafts Council has submitted evidence to the Design Commission’s Inquiry into Design Education. The inquiry is investigating the economic and social rationale for design education, both specialised and embedded in other disciplines. Crafts Council comments covered the value, skills and employment potential of contemporary craft. Our evidence drew on our programmes and research undertaken in 2010 to investigate craft graduate career paths and portfolio-working in the contemporary craft sector.
Read our response here and find out more about the inquiry here.
Design Summit
On June 23 the Design Council and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills hosted the Design Summit: Design for Growth, bringing together ministers, designers and architects to examine how design can play a more central role in driving economic growth.
A range of transcripts and videos from the summit are available on the Design Council website.
Creative Industries Council
The Creative Industries Council, announced as part of the Plan for Growth, met for the first time on 13 July. The Council is co-chaired by the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and the Business Secretary Vince Cable, with membership including business and trade associations. It is expected to present findings and recommendations in January 2012.
More here.
The Crafts Council welcomes all Government interest in craft and design, and continues to make the case for an integrated approach that recognises that makers and designers increasingly move seamlessly between the two and that both are essential, and mutually supportive, in bringing about the innovation that will lead to growth.
See ‘In Parliament’ below for further discussion of the Creative Industries Council.
2) Central Government
The future of FE – John Hayes
On 15 June the Skills Minister spoke about the future of Further Education (FE) at Warwickshire College, arguing that it should be characterised by ‘innovation, vocational excellence and a renewed sense of enthusiasm for and pride in skills’. He again emphasised the role of skills in restoring economic growth and stimulating productivity. He also referred to the social benefits of skills training while identifying challenges in skills provision including the need for a reform of careers guidance, and called on the sector to think ‘laterally and creatively’ to ensure effective training. Finally, he outlined areas for further work including the simplification of the Apprenticeship system, introducing Lifelong Learning Accounts and reviewing informal adult and community learning.
In welcome support for craft skills the Minister also commented on the ‘beauty of craft and the elegance of learning’ arguing that craft is ‘rooted in our history’. The Minister has consistently supported craft skills since taking office and as we reported last month gave a firm endorsement of craft skills in his speech at the Crafts Council’s launch of its 40th birthday events at the House of Commons in May.
The Crafts Council continues to engage in active dialogue with John Hayes and his team concerning the opportunities and challenges of routes into the sector including Apprenticeships.
Read the FE speech here and our event summary here.
E-Bac Statistics
In support of the Government’s decision to introduce the E-Bac, the Department for Education has published statistics which indicate outcomes for 19-year-olds in England in 2010. As we have reported in a number of recent briefs, the E-Bac is an award based on the achievement of A*- C grades in five core subjects – Maths, English, two science qualifications, a foreign language and either history or geography – at GCSE stage.
According to the Department, statics show that around 80 per cent of students who studied the E-Bac were in education at age 19, with numbers of students falling to 60 per cent for those who achieved five GCSE passes at A* to C or equivalent not including English and maths.
See the data here.
In oral questions to the Department for Education on 11 July, MPs raised concerns about the impact of the E-Bac on the take-up and teaching provisions for subjects which it excludes. The Shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham argued that the E-Bac fails to deliver ‘freedom, choice and autonomy’ in education and has left some teachers, including arts teachers, at risk of redundancy. Gibb replied that the E-Bac aims to raise ‘aspiration right across the abilities and backgrounds of young people’.
Hansard p10.
In a number of public consultation responses, including evidence submitted to the Education Commons Select Committee Inquiry into the E-Bac, the Crafts Council has expressed concerns that recent measures in education, including the E-Bac, signal the prioritisation of a core of academic subjects at the expense cultural and practical subjects. Whilst the Crafts Council firmly supports the rigorous teaching of numeracy and literacy skills in schools, we remain concerned about the impacts of these measures on the provision of balanced education and access to the important benefits of cultural learning.
See ‘In Parliament’ below for further discussion of cultural education.
3) Publications and tools
Achieving great art for everyone
ACE has commissioned Baroness Estelle Morris to review its 10-year strategic framework, ‘Achieving great art for everyone’, to provide an independent view on how its strategic goals can best reflect the museums and libraries sectors alongside the arts.
The review is intended to broaden ACE dialogue with the libraries and museums sectors and ACE will be in discussions with organisations over the summer. A companion document to ‘Achieving great art for everyone’ will be published in September to reflect ACE goals for the wider cultural sector.
Read the ACE announcement here.
CASE tool for culture and heritage
The DCMS have launched a new Culture and Sport Evidence (CASE) tool which provides local data on culture and heritage provision. The tool is part of the wider CASE programme which is an interdisciplinary research initiative lead by the DCMS and aiming to identify factors that drive engagement in the arts and to assess their impact on people’s lives in the UK. The culture and heritage tool provides a wealth of demographic data for specific local areas as well as a range of statistics covering factors such as arts participation, education participation and lottery grants. Comparisons with neighbouring localities are also provided. It is designed to help policy makers by recognising trends, anomalies, inefficiencies and inequalities across the UK and to support decisions on how to invest in culture and heritage at the local level.
Access the tool here.
The Further Education and Skills sector 2020: A Social Productivity Approach
In the context of significant changes to public service delivery the 2020 Public Services Hub, based at leading think tank the RSA, has published a report commissioned by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), which examines challenges and opportunities for further education and skills delivery.
The report calls on the FE sector to break away from a narrow ‘delivery of qualifications’ and place more emphasis on citizen engagement, interaction with employers and civic leadership. The report also makes a number of recommendations for the future direction of FE.
Access the report here.
Culture Global
Audiences UK and Kettle Partnerships have established Culture Global, a research project aiming to map and share business tools used by arts organisations in the UK and internationally. Culture Global comes in response to a perceived need to support organisations in developing strategy and planning for the future. The project will establish a network which aims to both share solutions developed in the UK and draw upon international best practice.
A process of evidence gathering is currently taking place; visit the Audiences UK website for further information.
Youth Arts Transform Lives
Artswork, the national youth arts development agency has published a report which aims to demonstrate the ‘transformational power’ of arts participation in young people’s lives. Research draws upon a number of case studies which provide evidence on the contribution of arts to personal fulfilment, creative thinking and problem solving for young people, and key note articles cover a range of issues including economic and educational impact. The report will provide a resource for Artwork’s national campaign to secure wider recognition for youth arts which was initiated by members of the English National Youth Arts Network and is run by Artswork.
Read the report here.
The Crafts Council is a firm believer in the developmental potential of arts engagement for young people in educational contexts and beyond. Enhancing cross-curricular learning and personal development are central to the Crafts Council’s programme Firing Up, which is a replicable, scalable national programme that aims to reinvigorate ceramics teaching across the country by working with HEIs, their technicians, tutors and pupils, and which is supported by the Esmée Fairbairn and Paul Hamlyn Foundations. Beyond the classroom, Crafts Council research shows how craft practice can facilitate the inclusion of hard-to-reach learners, offering people the opportunity to work with materials, make objects with meaning and permanence, while engaging in conversations that build individual worth and community value. A number of examples are provided in our recent briefing Craft and Wellbeing.
4) In Parliament
In the Commons:
Ahead of parliamentary recess from 20 July to 5 September, there have been a number of relevant Parliamentary Questions and debates over the past month on issues including the Creative Industries Council and arts education.
Creative Industries Council
16 June
A number of Labour MPs including Kerry McCarthy the MP for Bristol East, William Bain the MP for Glasgow North East and Steve Rotheram the MP for Liverpool Walton asked the Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey, how the Creative Industries Council will increase employment and growth in the creative industries. The Minister said that:
‘Members will instigate industry-led approaches to boosting the growth and competitiveness of the creative industries, with the Government facilitating and removing barriers where appropriate.’
Hansard p5.
5 July
Earlier this month the Shadow Culture Secretary Ivan Lewis asked Jeremy Hunt which sub-groups are proposed to be established as part of the Creative Industries Council. The Culture Secretary confirmed that the Creative Industries Council will comprise two ‘task and finish’ working groups which will assess skills and access to finance, he also confirmed that a third working group will look at issues around business’s ability to achieve growth.
Hansard p129.
Arts Education
There were a number of questions to the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb last month on the provision of cultural education and potential impacts of recent education policy changes.
June 10
Sharon Hodgson the Labour MP for Washington and Sunderland asked Gibb what assessments were being made concerning the contribution of cultural subject in the curriculum to the wider academic development of 5-16 year olds. Gibb responded that schools are expected to provide a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum and, reiterating the Schools White Paper, said that ‘children should expect to be given a rich menu of cultural experiences’. He also stated that a decision will be taken as to whether cultural subjects should remain statutory on the National Curriculum following the Henley Review of cultural education and results from the National Curriculum review, with proposals to be announced early in 2012.
In a subsequent question Craig Whittaker the Conservative MP for Calder Valley asked Gibb whether he will take steps to ensure that design and technology is prioritised in the National Curriculum Review. In response Gibb affirmed his belief that there should be a debate on all subjects which form part of the National Curriculum, beyond maths, English, science and physical education, which have already been announced as core statutory subjects.
Hansard p52.
June 13
Later in the same week Hodgson raised the issue of art teacher numbers in primary and secondary schools for the next three years. Gibb responded that according to the latest School Workforce Census data there are around 13,200 art teachers in state funded secondary schools for the current academic year. He also said that the number of teachers employed by schools in future years will, as now, be a matter for schools to decide and commented that estimates for the future number of specialist art teachers in state funded secondary schools indicate that there will be a decrease of around 100 to 200 teachers in each year. He argued that this decrease is inline with decreasing numbers of secondary school students.
Hansard p76.
June 15
Gloria de Piero also asked Gibb about art teacher numbers last month. Requesting information on teacher numbers for the last two academic years and for the coming academic year, Gibb responded as above, but this time the 13,200 for 2010 was used to refer to art and design teachers where as in his previous answer on 13 June the figure was given as an indication of the number of art teachers.
Hansard p159.
June 30
Later in the month the Ivan Lewis asked Gibb whether he will prepare an impact assessment of the various education reforms on the arts and culture sector. In line with previous answers, Gibb referred to the comments in the Schools White Paper on cultural learning and referenced the second Henley Review, with results to be made available later in the year.
Hansard p110.
DCMS Select Committee Response
The DCMS has published its response to the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee inquiry into Funding for the Arts and Heritage. The response covers issues including Arts Council funding, the combined impact of central and local government cuts on the cultural sector and arts philanthropy.
All Committee publications relating to the inquiry are available here including Crafts Council evidence.
In the Lords:
14 July
Young People and the Creative Industries
On 14 July the Lords also debated young people and the creative industries, with specific reference to the role of traditional crafts in education.
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch asked Baroness Wilcox, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for BIS, about Government measures to encourage young people to pursue careers in the creative industries, in her questions she also referred to the economic significance of the creative industries, the need for more flexible Apprenticeships in the sector and the importance of social networks for accessing work opportunities.
In a later question Lord Cormack asked how the Government will encourage young people to enter traditional crafts. Baroness Wilcox responded that the Government are making over 200 new apprenticeship schemes available, speaking with schools to ensure that our careers advice encourages craft skills for children ‘who have those wonderful talents but maybe feel at this stage that this will not get them a job.’
In the debate Peers also raised concerns about the absence of cultural and creative subjects in the new E-Bac and recent funding decisions for humanities teaching and research at universities.
Hansard p3.
As above the Crafts Council’s educational programme Firing Up aims to reinvigorate ceramics teaching in schools and show it as a viable career path.
Made By Britain
On 6 July the Crafts Council attended the launch of Made By Britain, a collaborative project conceived by the Associate Parliamentary Manufacturing Group to engage parliamentarians with the manufacturing sector. All 650 MPs have been asked to nominate an object which is currently manufactured in their constituency. The launch showcased the first 40 nominations though an online map which was presented by the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable.
The Crafts Council was very pleased to work with the APMG on developing the project and was delighted that Tim Farron the Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale selected Michael Eden’s Wedgwoodn’t Tureen to represent his constituency.
Made by Britain had excellent press coverage including a Guardian article which mentions Mr. Farron’s nomination. Information about the project and the online map can be accessed here.
