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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Shakespeare North project in Prescot on arts education and the local regeneration of the town for residents following her visit to that project.

The Secretary of State visited Shakespeare North in Prescot last month so she could see personally the contribution the project has made and will continue to make to the local economy and the ambitious and extensive educational outreach that is planned. Shakespeare North provides many opportunities for children and young people to experience creative and cultural activities and works with education providers to ensure they can engage with the venue in a meaningful way. Education partnerships from Shakespeare North provide local schools with workshops, access to performances and Continuing Professional Development opportunities for teachers wanting to promote cultural learning and creative practice in their classrooms. Shakespeare North’s community programmes are providing creative activities and opportunities to engage with their local culture and heritage through workshops for people of all ages. These activities exemplify the Secretary of State’s priority to promote access to arts and culture and encourage residents to draw on the rich heritage of their local area.

Shakespeare North has received capital funding from central and local government, including: £5 million Treasury grant in 2016; £12 million Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (increased from £6 million); £10.5 million Liverpool City Region (LCR) (increased from £6.5 million); and £3 million from the Capital Kickstart fund.

The Government recognises that improving access to high-quality arts and culture in previously under-served areas of the country is critical to giving people pride in the cities, towns and villages in which they work and live, helping people in every part of the country to prosper and to fulfil their full potential. This is why the Government instructed Arts Council England to invest all the additional money (£43.5 million) agreed in the 2021 Spending Review outside London and where possible in Levelling Up for Culture Places – 109 areas that the Government and Arts Council England have jointly identified as having had historically low investment in arts and culture, which will be targeted for future investment. One of the areas is St Helen’s, which has already received over £6 million in funding since 2018 for 36 projects, such as Heart of Glass, which works with artists and community groups to unlock stories, reimagine public spaces and forge new connections.

Earlier this year, the Department for Education’s Schools White Paper shared their intention to work with DCMS to develop and publish a Cultural Education Plan, working in close collaboration with Arts Council England, Historic England and the British Film Institute. This plan will include how best to support children and young people to take part in cultural opportunities in their local areas and to support those who wish to pursue careers in creative and cultural industries.