🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Do you want to hear all of Scotland's main political parties discuss their plans for culture ahead of May's elections? Then join us for a FREE, open-access, livestreamed event next Thursday evening: www.campaignforthearts.org/events/scott...

Welcome to the family @lswisnom.bsky.social 💜 Real progress only happens together!

This week, two things happened for the arts in Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 1️⃣ New evidence shows arts engagement delivers huge health and economic benefits 2️⃣ The Welsh budget signals growing recognition of that value 🧵👇

Yesterday, the Welsh Government published their final 2026-27 Budget, and increased culture investment for the second year on the trot 🐎

💊 "If the arts were a pill, we would be taking it every single day" 💊 For Professor Daisy Fancourt, the mounting evidence on how engaging with the arts affects our health should transform the way we think about healthcare.

🗣️ “It is through our songs and our stories that we best express ourselves, and best understand ourselves, and our place in the world." 🗣️ This week, Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced a real-terms boost to the overall culture budget in 2026-27 📈

Yesterday, the Scottish Government published its draft budget for 2026-7, which once again increased its investment in culture 🔥 The picture remains mixed, but overall we are encouraged by this attempt to unlock the potential of the arts to improve all our lives 🖼️

"Let's make sure we have a properly funded BBC that reflects and celebrates who we are." Today in the House of Lords, former BBC Director-General Lord Tony Hall underlined the importance of the BBC as a cultural organisation.

From everyone at the Campaign for the Arts, thank you for standing up for the arts in 2025 💜 We'll be back in 2026, ready to fight even harder for all of our right to a busy and beautiful cultural life. Until then 🫡

Nnena’s win is groundbreaking in its own right. As ActionSpace, who have worked with Nnena for over 25 years, put it: “it’s proof that learning disabled artists are not only capable, they are brilliant" ✨

🎉 We did it! 🎉 We've been absolutely blown away by the response to our Big Festive Fundraiser, which went well beyond its original target thanks to the generosity of 350 of you – our supporters.

'From firefighting to future-building' 🚒 ▷🔮 Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason explains why 2026 is such a big year for us, and why we’re shifting gears as an organisation.

Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason on the situation, and on the solution 🎞️ 48 hours into our Big Festive Fundraiser, we're 99% of the way there. Thank you so much to everyone who has got us this far. Can you help us get over the final hurdle? 💯 donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

'I grew up thinking music was something everyone did’ ... and should be able to do ✨ A reflection from Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason – our newest trustee – on how the arts can transform lives 📽️

It's #GivingTuesday, and CFTA's Big Festive Fundraiser has just begun ✨ This week, and this week only, your donation is doubled. Help us raise £25k and step it up for the arts in 2026. 👉 donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

What did last week's Budget mean for the arts? 📉 Central funding essentially unchanged 🗜 Local funding could be squeezed further 🏛️ Big changes to business rates 🏨 New funding could come from visitor levies 🇬🇧 More £ for the devolved administrations www.campaignforthearts.org/news/what-di...

CFTA's Big Festive Fundraiser launches tomorrow at noon. Join us in backing a future where the arts are valued and available to all.

Big news! Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason – mother of the Kanneh-Mason family and a wonderful advocate for access to the arts – has joined the Campaign for the Arts board 👑 And there's more. CFTA's Big Festive Fundraiser launches on Tuesday. For 1 week, all donations will be DOUBLED 💰

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, has unveiled the 2025 Autumn Budget 🧮 An initial reaction from the Campaign for the Arts Director Jack Gamble: www.campaignforthearts.org/news/cfta-re...

🎆 After years of decline, there’s hope for arts in schools again 🎆 Our take on the Curriculum & Assessment Review, and the government's response to it 🧶 1/10

🎆 Could today's Curriculum & Assessment review be a new reason to remember, remember the 5th of November? 🎆 EBacc scrapped, Progress 8 reformed, the arts to be revitalised in a new national curriculum, new core enrichment entitlement. All this and more 👇 www.campaignforthearts.org/news/curricu...

£132 million to grassroots culture & sport for young people 💰 £10 million to fund libraries in every primary school 📚 What's actually new from Labour Conference 2025? CFTA explains 🔍

Today at the Labour Party Conference, the Culture Secretary unveiled plans for a new national competition celebrating culture beyond big cities 🏘️ @lisanandymp.bsky.social has advocated for towns throughout her political career, and this competition will sit alongside the UK City of Culture 🏙

“My hero is anyone who democratises art, who makes it accessible to everyone, who challenges people but makes them want to get involved.” Fresh from hosting the Sky Arts Awards, Bill Bailey is in the Telegraph this week with a loud & proud case for the arts 📢 www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/5d8941b...

Here's our latest pyramid scheme.

Owen Cooper's record-breaking Emmy win is a result of his time at Drama MOB, a drama school in Manchester. He is living proof of what young people can achieve when they have access to arts education 🏆

Today at the DCMS Select Committee, the Culture Secretary spoke about why independent cinemas are critical cultural infrastructure. She also gave a shoutout to Leigh Film Society 📣 🏷️ What independent cinema deserves some love?

“You don’t get Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa or Oasis without small venues. The collapse of independent venues puts the entire night-time economy at risk.” New research has found that 1 in 4 late-night venues have closed since 2020. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

🚨 NEW: the share of GCSE entries in arts subjects has reached a new low – but the rate of decline appears to be slowing. www.campaignforthearts.org/news/exam-re...

🚨 NEW: the share of A-level entries in arts subjects has reached a new low 🔻 SO: enrolment in arts A-levels is now 31% lower than it was in 2010 (and under half of what it was for the performing arts)

The number of students studying drama at A level has plummeted by 52% since 2010, according to research by bsky.app/profile/campaignfo... Read more 👇

Our snapshot report into the health of the UK’s arts sector, featured by @museumsassociation.org 👇

“The ecosystem is essential, not optional.” 🎥 In her maiden House of Lords speech, new peer @thangamdebbonaire.bsky.social highlighted the need for a "political case" for the arts, and for treating them as an ecosystem.

The new #StateOfTheArts report from @campaignforthearts.org shows deepening inequalities in arts access. At Create, we saw during #CreateWeek just how powerful creativity can be - and how vital it is to make it available to everyone. 📊 Read the report: www.campaignforthearts.org/the-state-of...

And finally… 5 of 5 of our annual arts health check is Arts Employment, with @artsemergency.bsky.social 🛟

It’s week 4 of our annual arts health check 🩺 Today, we look at Arts Funding 👇

📌 THE STATE OF THE ARTS: One Year On 📌 #3 out of 5 in our annual healthcheck is Arts Provision, feat @musicvenuetrust.bsky.social 1/4 🧵

In December, the Government set up a council to shape the Creative Industries Sector Plan 🗺️ When the Sector Plan was published in June, we welcomed the commitment to give every child in England a high-quality creative education 🎨 This week in the DCMS Select Committee 👇

A year on from their landmark State of the Arts report, our friends over at @campaignforthearts.org are diving back into the health of Arts Education in the UK. Just another reason to sign our open letter to the Govt to put creativity at the heart of the curriculum.🔗 theartsandmindscampaign.org.uk/

📌 THE STATE OF THE ARTS: One Year On 📌 Last July, we published a landmark report with @ccmpswarwick.bsky.social examining the State of the Arts in the UK across 5 health metrics. One year later, we’re revisiting each one 🧮 #2 is Arts Education, with the @neunion.bsky.social

One year on from Labour's election win, our Director asks: has the government delivered? 📦 campaignforthearts.org/news/one-yea...

📌 THE STATE OF THE ARTS: One Year On 📌 Last July, we published a landmark report with @ccmpswarwick.bsky.social examining the State of the Arts in the UK across 5 health metrics. One year later, we’re revisiting each one to see what’s changed – and what hasn’t 🩻 🧵 1/4

Today in the House of Lords, the Government was asked "what assessment they have made of the value of the subsidised arts sector". Baroness Twycross said the Government "strongly believes in the benefits of publicly funded arts". 🧵 (1/6)

It's only 7 days until July, and that means #CreateWeek – a celebration of creativity founded on the belief that people need to create 🎨 Our friends at Create have commissioned artists to design seven free creative activities, and we’re encouraging everyone to join in 👉 @createcharity.bsky.social

Huge congratulations to our friends over at Sky Arts for launching the 4th edition of Access All Arts, live this week in 13k primary schools across the UK and Ireland 🏫 This is an amazing (free) educational cross-arts programme for schools. Well done ✨ 👉 accessallarts.skyarts.uk

🎉 Create Week wouldn’t be possible without our brilliant partners! We’re so grateful to everyone helping us celebrate creativity during #CreateWeek2025 💛 including @64millionartists.bsky.social  @campaignforthearts.org @readingagency.bsky.social  - and so many more! #CreateWeek2025 #ArtsForAll

The Campaign for the Arts’ Spending Review Explainer 🧶👇

Culture, Media & Sport is once again facing real-terms cuts until 2029 – though these are not as deep as we saw last year. There will be some growth in funding for schools and local councils – but there will still be considerable pressures on their arts budgets.

"Through investment and things like scholarships, media, music and cultural efforts, you just think, we’re asleep at the wheel." As the UK Government concludes its spending review, advisers warn of a funding crisis in key cultural and educational institutions. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Citizens from every parliamentary constituency in the UK have come together, ahead of the forthcoming Spending Review, to urge the Chancellor to protect and grow public investment in the arts and culture. 🎶💃🎭🎨✍️📸🎥🧵🏛️ www.campaignforthearts.org/news/citizen...