1,000 signatures reached
To: Erica Stanford, Minister of Education
Reinstate Creatives in Schools Programme
We call on Erica Stanford, Minister of Education and the current government to reinstate the Creative in Schools Programme.
Young people need access to the arts more than ever in this ever-changing world. CiS was a fantastic programme that worked on many levels.
The programme was unexpectedly axed by the government in June 2024, despite consistently positive evaluations, including a 2023 report that stated: "Creatives in Schools provides a powerful example of how to deliver to the school arts curriculum in the 21st century… Creatives in Schools continues to deliver important benefits to ākonga and students, schools, creatives and communities."[1]
Why is this important?
Creatives in Schools (CiS) was an arts programme that ran from 2019 to 2024. It funded schools and kura to partner with professional artists and creative practitioners to share specialist artistic knowledge and creative practice with ākonga and students.
The programme enabled tamariki and rangatahi throughout Aotearoa to participate in high-quality, arts-rich experiences in their schools, in collaboration with professional artists.
The program not only empowered students but also offered professional development for teachers and essential employment opportunities for hundreds of artists throughout New Zealand. It was truly a win-win for all involved.
Young people need access to the arts more than ever in this fast changing world. CiS was a fantastic programme that worked on many levels. We call on the current government to reinstate the Creative in Schools Programme.
"Playfulness and imagination aren't just essential for children's development, but for our world. Empathy is a basic, and that's why the imagination is so important. To be able to imagine someone other than yourself and what their life is, is so vitally important in our times now." – Professor Peter O’Connor.[2]
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