PICL

Partners in Creative Learning (PiCL), which delivers the Creative Partnerships programme across the city, is delighted that such an influential report demonstrates the link between supporting local schools to be creative and the economic benefits that result from it.

As well as the £4 billion net positive benefit for the UK economy PwC’s research reveals the creative learning programmes will generate the equivalent of £15.30 of economic benefits for every £1 of investment.

PiCL co-director Rachel Billington said that Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire’s participation in Creative Partnerships was much higher than the national average with 55 schools taking part in the programme again this academic year. 

“The delivery of the Creative Partnerships programme has been incredibly successful and has a huge impact on schools, teachers and pupils across the region and this report by PwC finally evidences how it translates into an economic benefit,” said Rachel.

“It is vital that creativity and the arts are at the heart of education and today’s figures highlight what we’ve always known – and that is that schools should be the hotbed of creativity for pupils because they help encourage generations of inspired and motivated people who can make a positive contribution to the UK economy.”

PwC’s ‘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. Nationally, 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.”