One Dance UK joins calls to restore arts education in schools

One Dance UK has reaffirmed the importance of dance and the arts in education as campaigners deliver an open letter to the government, calling for greater investment and opportunities for young people to access creative subjects.

 One Dance UK's Education & Training Manager Amy Roberts said:

"At One Dance UK we know the power Dance and other art forms have to transform the lives of children and young people. We were heartened by the recommendations set out for dance in the Curriculum and Assessment Review last year, alongside the development of a National Centre for Arts Education and the announcement of the 'Every Child Can' initiative. Today serves as an important reminder of the need to fully restore the arts in education, ensuring all children and young people are entitled to high-quality arts provision as part of their curriculum, regardless of location or background."

On 10 November, leading arts figures and school children gathered outside Westminster to deliver an open letter to the Department for Education, urging the government to fulfil its commitment to restoring the value of arts subjects in schools.

Organised by the Arts and Minds campaign, a coalition of organisations across the arts and education sectors, the letter has attracted around 10,000 signatures, including support from prominent figures such as Dame Arlene Phillips DBE, Farooq Chaudhry OBE and Stephen Moss CBE.

The campaign follows the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review last year and subsequent government announcements, including the removal of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) and plans for a new enrichment framework.

Despite these commitments, campaigners warn that significant barriers remain. Research from Teacher Tapp found that just 7% of school leaders felt able to increase curriculum time for arts subjects, while half identified an overcrowded curriculum as a major obstacle.

The campaign is calling for greater space for creative subjects within the curriculum, increased funding for arts provision and improved recruitment of specialist teachers.

Ed Harlow, President of the National Education Union and Arts and Minds campaign spokesperson, emphasised that the arts should not be treated as an optional extra but as a fundamental part of every child's education.

As the government prepares to publish the new national curriculum, it is vital that commitments to creative education translate into meaningful opportunities for all children and young people to experience the benefits of dance and the wider arts.

Source: Arts Professional, 10 November 2026.
Photo credit: Simon Jacobs / PinPep