Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve access to arts and culture for young people in the West Midlands.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people can access high-quality arts and culture.

Between 2023/24 and 2025/26, Arts Council England invested over £170 million in arts organisations and projects across the West Midlands, including almost £40 million supporting children and young people. This funding supports initiatives such as Powered by CAN in Sandwell, which develops creative opportunities and career pathways; Big Brum Theatre in Education, one of the most established Theatre in Education companies in the UK; and Wolverhampton’s City of Youth Culture programme, helping more young people engage with arts, culture and creative activities across the region.

Nationally, the government is committed to revitalising arts education through a reformed curriculum and support for teachers, including via the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education, due to be established by September 2026. To increase access to enrichment opportunities across culture, sport, and wider youth sectors for disadvantaged young people, the Every Child Can programme, backed by £132.5 million in dormant assets through the National Lottery Community Fund, will fund activities within schools and in communities at weekends and in the holidays, ensuring enrichment is a common entitlement for all.