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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in (a) drama, (b) music and (c) art.

The Government is committed to ensuring that as we build a country that works for everyone there is opportunity for all to experience and participate in all forms of arts and culture whatever their background.

This is why the Culture White Paper set out a range of commitments aimed at increasing diversity in arts participation. For example, the Cultural Citizens Programme which will provide young people from disadvantaged backgrounds meaningful opportunities to experience the arts. Pilots are taking place in Liverpool and Blackpool, Birmingham, and Barking and Dagenham offering a range of cultural activities so you people develop a lifelong love of the arts.

We have protected funding for Arts Council England (ACE) throughout the next spending period. This includes support for arts programmes which aim to increase access for under-represented groups such as the Creative People and Places programme, in which Arts Council England has invested over £41m to support access to the arts in areas with low engagement in arts and culture.