Curious Minds

Creative schools in the North West help boost UK economy

New report reveals that Creative Partnerships schools are nationally expected to generate nearly £4 billion positive benefit for the economy

 Creative Partnerships, the government’s creative learning programme that works in 155 of schools in Lancashire, Merseyside and West Cheshire, through Curious Minds, is expected to generate nearly £4 billion net positive benefit for the UK economy. New independent research from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) reveals the programme will generate the equivalent of £15.30 of economic benefits for every £1 of investment in Creative Partnerships (www.creative-partnerships.com).

Chris May, Chief Executive at Curious Minds, commented: “This research confirms what we at Curious Minds know from delivering this programme in hundreds of schools across the North West – quite simply – the programme delivers fantastic value. It’s absolutely proven that Creative Partnerships is succeeding in bringing about sustainable change where many other programmes struggle, and is consistently helping achieve the Government’s aims of raising attainment, motivating teachers and generating increased parental involvement in the life of schools.  Anyone seriously concerned with improving outcomes for children and young people would certainly benefit from closer involvement with Creative Partnerships" 

‘The Costs and Benefits of Creative Partnerships’ report was commissioned by national charity Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE) to analyze how its work with learners, parents, schools and teachers has impacted on the wider UK economy. PricewaterhouseCoopers has analysed CCE’s existing large-scale national evidence and considered impacts of the programme, including:

• the premium associated by gaining five good GCSEs
• the avoided social costs of crime and truancy
• the improved teacher morale from being involved in Creative Partnerships leading to higher retention rates.

 

Creative Partnerships, which is managed nationally by CCE, was launched in 2002 to foster innovative long-term partnerships between schools and creative professionals, including artists, performers, architects, multimedia developers and scientists. These partnerships inspire young people, teachers and creative professionals to challenge how they work and experiment with new ideas. To date the programme has worked with over 1 million young people in over 5,000 schools and has engaged over 90,000 teachers in local arts education projects. Other independent research has already shown the impact the programme has on attainment with young people who have attended Creative Partnerships activities making, on average the equivalent of 2.5 grades better progress in GCSE (NFER).

Paul Collard, Chief Executive of Creativity, Culture and Education, said: “In this tough economic climate, with every penny of public money under pressure, and the need to prove that investment yields results, it is vital that decisions are made on the evidence of what works both at a local level and a national level. This independent report builds on our rich research base to show the real economic impact of the investment in the Creative Partnerships programme which works with thousands of schools across the country.”

He continues, “Through programmes like Creative Partnerships, children are able to gain real and tangible benefits from working with artists on creative and cultural projects. Children who have been exposed to the arts are far more likely to continue with these as adults, enriching the quality of their lives. In addition, learning with artists through the creative process helps them to develop the ability to question, make connections, innovate and reflect critically. Developing these skills early in life through creativity in schools enriches the lives of young people while also meeting the requirements of contemporary employers and benefiting the wider economy.”

Please visit www.creativitycultureeducation.org/pwcreport.html for a copy of the ‘The Costs and Benefits of Creative Partnerships’ report by PwC. For more information about CCE and Creative Partnerships please visit www.creativitycultureeducation.org or follow @CCEinsights on Twitter.