October 2022
This month we cover:
- New evidence on the path to net zero in the crafts sector
- Analysing race and inclusion in creative education
- More evidence about how arts and culture contribute to improved mental health
The path to net zero in craft
The new Julie’s Bicycle and Policy and Evidence Centre report on the creative industries and the climate emergency, The Path to Net Zero, has a good summary of crafts sector progress (see p19). It explores the different challenges across craft disciplines, how makers are taking active steps towards a reduction in emissions and Crafts Council actions and research to support the sector. The study also highlights the challenges of securing finance and investing in energy-saving measures or technologies such as newer and more efficient kilns. But this sits within the wider context of a significant policy disconnect between government and industry and the need for investment in innovation to find creative solutions to environmental challenges.
Creative education – race and inclusion
Freelands Foundation and The Runnymede Trust are to conduct the first major research into race and inclusion in art education, reporting in 2023. The study is informed by evidence that children in UK schools, 31% of whom are ‘minority ethnic’, are introduced to visual art by teachers who are 94% white. Following the report, they plan to use the research to create practical educational toolkits for schools, to aid and provide guidance on inclusive visual arts education pedagogy. Crafts Council is providing evidence.
The Cultural Learning Alliance has analysed Department for Education figures which show that overall the hours of arts teaching and number of arts teachers in England’s secondary schools continue stable after years of decline. Between November 2020 and November 2021 the number of arts teachers increased by +2% and the number of hours the arts were taught in secondary schools overall did not change. The number of children in England’s secondary schools went up by +2% over the same period.
How do we value creativity in education? Pauline Tambling reviews the current debates and considers what’s changed over the past 40 years.
How arts participation has changed since before the pandemic
Recent arts, culture and heritage attendance has risen to 89% among respondents to Audience Agency surveys. Film and museums/heritage are proving especially popular particularly with families, while online arts activities continue to attract a younger and more ethnically diverse audience.
But the latest Cultural Participation Monitor findings also show that people expect to attend arts and culture events less in future than they did before the pandemic. The vast majority of respondents say that they are worried about the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on them.
Ticket sales and income have generally recovered to their pre-pandemic average, but as audiences tighten their belts, they also plan to reduce their general spend in venues' shops and cafés.
However, while financial uncertainty might make people nervous about splashing out on more expensive arts and culture activities, over 40% of people say that pursuing creative hobbies in their own time is a key interest, a trend that skews towards younger participants and has increased through the pandemic.
How arts and culture contribute to improved mental health
Engaging with arts and culture online can improve mental health in young people, according to a study from the University of Oxford. Researchers examined the impact of online engagement with arts and culture on depression and anxiety in young people aged 16-24.
A new Creative Health Review will explore evidence and examples of the powerful influence creative health can have on our health and wellbeing and the benefits that the arts can bring to health and wellbeing. The National Centre for Creative Health and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing have issued a call for contributions.
The Art of the Workplace Report shows how art and cultural activities in offices have a positive impact on worker creativity, engagement and mental wellbeing and their relationships with employers. The report from Brookfield Properties and The School of Life demonstrates how it also provide a vital means to support our creative communities.
The ‘tortured artist’ myth is exploded by research from Goldsmiths University which has found a link between a positive emotional state, wellbeing and increased feelings of creativity.
And lastly..
The Scoping Culture and Heritage Capital study shows how the value of arts, culture and heritage can be articulated and measured based on DCMS’s Culture and Heritage Capital approach. The study was commissioned by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Crafts Council is a partner. Funding for further research has also been announced.
The Government has delayed the Bill which was set to give museums the power to dispose of objects on moral grounds, saying it needs more time to consider the implications.
A new network for creative businesses led by Kingston School or Art will offer a range of services including mentoring, peer-to-peer learning and access to creative business opportunities to businesses in South London.
