The Young Creatives Commission has published Levelling the Pitch This is an interim report led by The Round House and the thik tank, Centre for Young Lives which examines access to arts opportunities for young people across England.
The report draws on more than 100 evidence submissions, research, expert testimony, and direct engagement with young people.
The report finds that access to high-quality creative opportunities remains deeply unequal. A young person’s opportunities can depend on where they live, the provision available through their school, their family circumstances and the strength of local arts infrastructure.
For art and design education, the report raises important questions about what happens when opportunities to make, explore and develop creative practice become dependent on postcode, school resources or funding is pulled and opportunities are lost.
The report's findings indicate:
- Young people's creativity is widespread, but opportunities to develop it are not
- Arts provision has become less secure and more unequal
- Nearby arts provision can still be out of reach
The report identities that young people need:
A meaningful national arts offer; stable local provision; Access designed around young people's lives; youth influence with consequences; and 'give the arts a sporting chance.' the final report will set out an agenda for action.
The Commission argues that creative pathways should be as clear and accessible as those available through sport, from early participation through to talent development and careers. It calls for sustained investment, stronger local provision, visible opportunities and clearer routes into the creative industries. For schools, this reinforces the importance of curriculum time, specialist expertise, facilities and meaningful encounters with creative practice as part of a wider creative ecology – rather than relying on enrichment opportunities being available elsewhere.