The campaign has since grown with over 1,500 people signed up and partners right across the cultural and education sectors – from big name cultural institutions like the , the and to the many, many schools in support. As parents around the country prepare their kids for the new school year, and we all get that post-summer-back-to-school feeling, the issue of what and how we want our kids to be taught comes into sharp focus. by shows that (see her statement in support of the campaign ) while another from . Now is the time to be pushing the issue up the agenda ahead of the . There are many as to why culture in education is really important – attainment levels, training for creative industries jobs and to name just three – and they need to be made forcefully so that the good work happening in schools around the country can be maintained despite the cuts.

It’s not just government that needs to be convinced however, and its not only about money. Through the campaign we’re aiming to mobilise professionals in cultural institutions, teachers who and parents to articulate why children learning through culture is vital to education, and how new local networks can be formed to support practice.

Tomorrow we push forward with the campaigns’ social media strategy – a growing , the requisite and activity and a number of blogs that will mount in content and regularity as we move towards the CSR. Post the spending settlement, we’ll then bring cultural professionals, teachers and parents together in a week long of activities under the to a manifesto for the future of ensuring children and young people learn through their links with the visual and performing arts, film making, trips to museums, music and so on. This is not a middle class campaign, but absolutely about ensuring all children get access to these activities that enrich and inform us. The will unite people with an interest in protecting cultural learning in our schools and set up local networks which will continue well after the event, and we’re proud that our work on the campaign will lead to a longer lasting legacy than simply communications fizz. The website will evolve into a dynamic site containing research and evidence about why cultural learning works, submitted by practitioners, that will live on after the campaign.

This is one of our biggest communications campaigns to date and we’re very proud to be involved. For more info and to . And join us for the in November.

JT.