To mark its 60th Anniversary, Dame Vivien Duffield, Chair of the Clore Duffield Foundation, long-time champion and funder of cultural learning, today convened a group of leaders in education, culture, philanthropy and the creative industries with Ministers Catherine McKinnell, Department for Education and Sir Chris Bryant, Department for Culture, Media and Sport for a roundtable at Tate Britain to explore how best to create equal access to an excellent arts education.
(Left to right) Sir Chris Bryant (Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism), Dame Vivien Duffield DBE (Chairman, Clore Duffield Foundation), Catherine McKinnell (Minister for School Standards) at the Arts in Schools Summit. Photo: Hannah Harley Young, 2025.
Press images for download: https://tinyurl.com/4992pk2a
The meeting, chaired by Foundation Director Kate Bellamy, shared policy and practice recommendations from the sector, discussed the changes needed for children, young people and the workforce to thrive, and the role the Curriculum and Assessment Review will play in ensuring children benefit from a rich and cutting-edge curriculum.
Participants included: Dame Vivien Duffield, Chairman, Clore Duffield Foundation; Catherine McKinnell, Minister for School Standards, Department for Education; Sir Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, DCMS; Maria Balshaw, Director, Tate; Eliza Gluckman, Director, Government Art Collection; Lucy Heller, CEO, Ark Schools; Andria Zafirakou, Vice Principal of The Swiss Cottage School and Global Teacher Prize Winner 2018; Patricia Hidalgo, Director of Children and Education, BBC.
Dame Vivien Duffield DBE, Chair of the Clore Duffield Foundation, said:
“Now more than ever, I believe that culture should be at the heart of our children’s learning. I believe passionately that children and young people deserve the very best opportunities to benefit from the transforming power of our world class arts and heritage. I am delighted that we have been able to support many outstanding projects in museums, galleries, theatres, gardens and historic sites across the country and I am glad that we are now working directly with schools to support arts education and school trips. I just hope these opportunities can be extended to all children.”
Catherine McKinnell, Minister for School Standards, said:
“Every child deserves the opportunity to experience the transformative power of the arts and we are committed to ensuring creative arts are no longer the preserve of a privileged few.
“It was inspiring to see so many passionate voices come together to ensure every child has access to a high quality arts education, allowing them to achieve and thrive.”
Sir Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, said:
“This government is committed to breaking down barriers for children and young people. We know that a creative education is part of a complete education and we will ensure that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, the arts and drama.
“By bringing influential people together who support this vision, we can lay the building blocks to ensure that every young person, no matter their background or place they were born, has the opportunity to see a future working in the arts.”
Notes to Editors
The Clore Duffield Foundation has supported over 750 UK charities since it was formed in 2000, awarding grants of over £110 million to enhance the arts, Jewish life, education, health and welfare. Between 1980 and 2000 the Clore Foundation and the Vivien Duffield Foundation awarded over £51 million and £15 million respectively. Major beneficiaries include Tate, the Royal Opera House, the Southbank Centre, Oxford University and the Royal College of Art, who have all been supported by the Foundation to carry out major capital projects. The Foundation has also created a number of transformative programmes and institutions, including JW3, Eureka! and the Clore Leadership Programmes.
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