Burberry Foundation Champions Arts Education With Charitable Initiative

GETTING CREATIVE: The Burberry Foundation, an independent charity set up by the brand, is introducing a new educational initiative for schools in Yorkshire, England, to measure the impact that an arts and creative education can have on young students’ lives.

This will be a four-year initiative, with research done at the King’s College London.

The aim is to measure how disciplines such as film, dance, art and theater can impact students’ academic and personal development and provide evidence of the positive effects of creative learning.

The initiative comes at a time when arts programs at British schools and universities are facing funding cuts. According to reports, the English Baccalaureate excludes creative and technical subjects from key school tables and there has been a 34 percent drop in high school-aged students studying arts subjects.

Up-and-coming designer Richard Quinn also raised the issue during his spring 2019 show last month, inviting teenage art pupils from London state schools to his show.

As part of Burberry’s initiative, local organizations including Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Young Film, Northern Ballet and the art gallery Hepworth Wakefield, will provide artists-in-residence at all eight participating schools.

“At Burberry, we believe that creativity should be nurtured, and we are passionate about championing the benefits of making arts and culture available to all,” said Leanne Wood, a trustee of the Burberry Foundation and chief people, strategy and corporate affairs officer at Burberry.

“We want to inspire young people across the country to explore the wide variety of ways they can be involved in the creative industries, and help to create a wealth of talent for one of Britain’s most important sectors.”

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