The Stage

Ten English areas unveiled for kids’ Find Your Talent pilot scheme

Published Thursday 29 May 2008 at 12:20 by Alistair Smith

Central government has revealed the ten areas of England which will pilot its new Find Your Talent scheme, in which school children will be given access to five hours of culture a week.

The ten lead organisations which have been chosen are Bolton Borough Council, the Creative Foundation (serving Shepway District and including Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh), Customs House (North and South Tyneside), Hampshire County Council, Leeds Children’s Services, Leicestershire County Council, Liverpool City Region Partnership (serving three Merseyside neighbourhoods), North Somerset, Telford and Wrekin Council and Tower Hamlets.

The pilots will trial different ways of offering young people ‘cultural experiences’ both within schools and by going out to theatres, art galleries and other cultural institutions. Different approaches will be used, based on partnerships between schools, local authorities and arts organisations, so that arts professionals will go into schools, as well as children getting the chance to gain experience outside the classroom.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said: “Find Your Talent is a truly exciting initiative that could open minds and change young lives. Enjoying and exploring culture and the arts is not a luxury, or an add-on, for young people. It matters in its own right and can be a way of developing essential life skills like communication and creativity, and contribute to personal development and self-esteem. Too many young people still leave school without ever really finding out what they could be good at - the things that could be the basis of a fulfilling life.

“These pilots will kick off the long process of putting that right. Their importance cannot be overstated.”

However, the scheme has already come in for criticism from the teaching world. Speaking at the time of the project’s launch, Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Everyone would want young people to engage more in positive activities and schools play their part in encouraging pupils to do worthwhile things. Many of these activities are already offered in schools - music groups, drama productions, theatre visits, for example. But it is not possible for schools to make provision for every pupil to have an entitlement to do five hours per week of such activities.”

Meanwhile, National Union of Teachers general secretary Steve Sinnott warned that in order for the scheme to work, extra cash has to be plugged into schools and arts centres, and the “excessive testing regime” must be lifted from schools to allow for creativity.

Professional Association of Teachers national chairperson Geraldine Everett said: “This is an admirable intention, but naive. It is fine-sounding rhetoric, but demonstrates little understanding of the practical issues.”