Drama, music and art, the subjects that teach children to think, question and imagine, have been treated as optional rather than essential. The schools serving the most disadvantaged communities have been hit hardest. And the loss doesn’t end at eighteen: creative thinking is a life skill, and most adults are never given the chance to develop it again.

We believe this work should be judged by evidence, not sentiment. Every Creative Ignition programme is evaluated against its learning objectives, using a framework developed with the University of Winchester. When you support us, you will see what your support achieved.

The UK’s creative industries contribute £145.8 billion a year to the economy and employ around 2.4 million people. The creative education pipeline that feeds them has been significantly reduced. The scrapping of the EBacc and the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review signal that policymakers now recognise this.

Schools are being asked to rebuild creative provision, and employers are asking for the same skills in the people they already have. Doing it well requires expert partners, proven methods and sustained funding.

That is what Creative Ignition provides.

Your support funds programme delivery in schools that could not otherwise afford it, the evaluation that proves what the work achieves, and the growth of this work for learners of every age.