Asked by: David Williams (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
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 improve the accessibility of cultural activities in (a) Stoke-on-Trent North constituency and (b) Kidsgrove.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
After 14 years of indifference and cultural vandalism, this government is committed to making sure that arts and cultural activities will no longer be the preserve of a privileged few.
DCMS supports its Arms Length Body, Arts Council England (ACE), to improve accessibility to culture. For example, ACE is working in partnership with other arts councils in the UK and Ireland to develop All In, an access scheme dedicated to removing barriers and improving the experience of D/deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people when attending creative and cultural events. This scheme aims to increase overall attendance by making it easier for people with access requirements to find and book tickets; and develop standards for creativity and culture to promote quality and consistency across the UK and Ireland. There will be a pilot of the scheme this autumn, ahead of a wider roll-out in the second half of 2025.
Claybody Theatre, which receives funding from ACE as a National Portfolio Organisation, makes arts more accessible to the people of Stoke-on-Trent, North and beyond. Claybody brings theatre to non-traditional venues in local communities, as well as delivering audio drama in virtual spaces. ACE also provides funding for ‘The Lost Note’ project, an immersive theatre project for family audiences that reworks the idea of the seasonal grotto. Working with local neurodivergent and autistic young people from Water Mill School and Fegg Hayes Futures, both based in Stoke-on-Trent North, the project will see children create stories and songs for a series of performances over nine days in January 2025.
Asked by: David Williams (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
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 provide youth services with adequate funding in (a) Stoke-on-Trent North constituency and (b) Kidsgrove.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people in their area. This government is aware that after 14 years of decline, many local authorities are struggling with budgets and this has had a direct impact on young people across the country.
That is why, on 17 October 2024, the Secretary of State committed to a new National Youth Strategy, co-produced with young people and the youth sector to support a generation to succeed. We will provide further updates to the House in due course.
Asked by: David Williams (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is for introducing a National Youth Strategy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
On 17 October, the Secretary of State committed to a new National Youth Strategy, co-produced with young people and the youth sector to support a generation to succeed. Further details will be shared in due course.