A former professional ballet dancer and Royal Opera House director will lead the expert panel charged with advising the government on its forthcoming cultural education plan (CEP).
Crossbench peer, Baroness Deborah Bull, will help formulate the plan designed to ensure that children and young people can access a diverse range of culture and activities.
Part of the schools white paper published in March, the CEP “aims to articulate and highlight the importance of high-quality cultural education in schools, promote the social value of cultural and creative education, outline and support career progression pathways, address skills gaps and tackle disparities in opportunity and outcome”.
Schools minister Will Quince and arts minster Lord Parkinson appointed Baroness Bull to chair the expert advisors, with the other panel members – expected to include school and cultural sector leaders, alongside other experts in cultural education – set to be announced later in the autumn.
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As well as spending 20 years in the Royal Ballet, Bull has spent time as a journalist, television and radio broadcaster, creative director at the Royal Opera House, board member of both Arts Council England and the South Bank Centre, Man Booker Prize judge, Desert Island Discs castaway, and governor of the BBC.
Over the last decade she has also worked in higher education, developing partnerships between the university sector and arts and cultural organisations. She co-chairs the all-party parliamentary group on creative diversity.
“Every child should have the opportunity to explore their individual and creative potential through high-quality cultural education,” she said, as her appointment was announced.
“I’m delighted to be appointed to the role and look forward to working with the panel to develop a rich and diverse cultural education plan that will deliver for children right across the country.”
Bodies contributing to the CEP will include Arts Council England, the British Film Institute, Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The plan will be published in 2023.
