Access to arts from earliest age
Our call to ensure every child can participate in high quality, innovative arts experiences from the earliest age is one of 25 calls for action to improve children’s lives – part of a campaign led by Children in Scotland as part of the organisation’s 25thanniversary. You can read the full article here.
Our Chief Executive, Rhona Matheson, has set out why the arts must be seen as a fundamental part of every child’s earliest experiences – the pay-off for society far outweighs the cost.
Whether experimenting in a playful, creative and colourful way with different materials, dancing, making music or experiencing live theatre – it’s the process that counts! All of these experiences facilitate deep learning, allowing children to explore the world, developing curiosity and imagination, and stimulating dialogue, connection and empathy.
The arts enable all of us to express ourselves. Indeed, the right to participate freely in cultural life and the arts is enshrined in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Over the next 25 years we’d like Scotland to build on existing foundations but be bolder in its approach to developing and delivering arts. We need a funding system that connects across sectors; resources to ensure theatre, dance and music is accessible for all; artists connecting with communities over the long-term; and we need to make expressive arts an integral part of the children’s sector training and professional development.
Find out more about Children in Scotland’s anniversary campaign here, bringing together voices from across the sector to propose how children can experience greater equality and strengthened human rights.