Arts Council England creates new independent organisation

Creative Partnerships - Arts Council England's successful creativity programme for schools - is set to become an independent organisation.

The programme, which develops young people's creativity, has been developed and managed by Arts Council England since it began in 2002. Due to the huge success of Creative Partnerships the Arts Council has decided that its future is best delivered through a new independent organisation - Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE).

The launch of the new organisation will be officially announced in a lecture given by Arts Council England Chief Executive, Alan Davey tonight (Monday 3 November) at the Royal Society of Arts.

Creative Partnerships has already worked with more than 750,000 young people and works intensively with 2,000 schools across England. Independent studies show that schools that work with Creative Partnerships improve their GCSE results faster, and that the scheme engages parents in their children's learning.

CCE will receive more than £75 million from Arts Council England between April 2009 - March 2011, the largest single grant in that two year period. The new organisation will have its headquarters in Newcastle, where the cultural renaissance of the North East - led by such organisations as The Sage Gateshead, Customs House, Tyne and Wear Museums, Live Theatre, BALTIC and MIMA, all with impressive education and learning programmes of their own - has created the perfect environment for the new national agency to grow and thrive.

"I am delighted that the Arts Council's largest funded organisation will be based in Newcastle," said Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England. "Creative Partnerships was an audacious idea that has become a phenomenal success. The Arts Council has nurtured that success and it is now a natural progression for it to be run by an independent organisation."
"This independence will mean that Creativity, Culture and Education can grow to its full potential and even more young people can benefit from creativity in their lives."
"The Arts Council will make a significant investment in CCE over the next two years and our ambition is that this will lead to lifelong engagement with the arts for the young people involved."

Sir Christopher Frayling, Chairman, Arts Council England said: "Creative Partnerships has been one of the great achievements in arts and education over the last ten years. The passion and determination of the people involved has made the project hugely successful, and their efforts have touched young people's lives right across the country. Schools and artists have never been closer together. This has been such a good idea".

Paul Roberts OBE, Chairman, CCE, said: "Arts Council England's funding will allow us to bring creative professionals into the classroom to inspire young people and to raise their aspirations and achievements. As well as helping to raise education standards, creative learning helps young people develop the skills demanded by today's employers: like team-working, networking and confidence in communication."

CCE will continue to contribute to the Arts Council's commitment to work with children and young people and ensure that the arts are central to their lives. It will run alongside projects such as Artsmark, Arts Award, Youth Dance and Youth Music, which are all instrumental in helping the Arts Council to achieve its mission of great art for everyone.