As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Art, Craft and Design in Education, Sharon brought together, for the first time, various other All-Party Parliamentary Group, including the Design and Innovation APPG, Performer’s Alliance Parliamentary Group, and the Arts. Health, Wellbeing, amongst others, to highlight the issues facing the arts, in both education and industry. 

Sharon opened the event by speaking about the impact Brexit and the Government’s education policies, such as the EBacc, will have on our creative industries.

You can read Sharon’s speech here: http://www.sharonhodgson.org/sharon_speaks_at_arts_summit_in_parliament

Alongside Sharon’s speech, the summit attendees also heard from Kate Mason, Director of The Big Draw, and 16-year-old cartoonist, Zoom Rockman, who showcased an animated film for a school science project, which highlighted the cross-over between the arts and other subjects.  The Summit also heard from Children’s Laureate, Chris Riddell, political cartoonist MARF and art educator Lily Elms who asked guests to draw onto a huge cartoon strip with their creative thoughts and ideas.

Following the event, Sharon said:

“It was wonderful to see a room which is usually devoted to the rigmarole of Parliamentary business used to showcase the importance of art education, not just to our children’s education and lives, but also society and economy as a whole.

“When the UK’s creative industries account for 5.8% of total jobs in the UK and contributes £160,000 per minute to our economy – which over the duration of the event would have contributed £19,200,000 to our economy, it is clear these figures cannot go on ignored. This is especially true when there is no clear Brexit strategy for the creative industries or considering the Government’s education policies, such as the EBacc, which will impact the creative pipeline.

“It is important that MPs have the opportunity to engage with the arts to fully understand its significance, and I hope that the summit will have reinforced the message that arts and creativity are central to our humanity, but also to our society and economy as a whole. There is still more to be done to raise awareness, but the work started at the Arts Summit on working collaboratively are crucial first steps to ensure our creative industries flourish.”