Creativity isn’t a nice to have, it’s essential to Yorkshire’s future - Dr Becky Parry
On June 10, 2025, 30 girls from a Yorkshire primary school stood on a local theatre stage to perform a dance they had created from scratch. One stepped forward, calling out: “Where are you from?” The whole group roared back: “Rotherham.”
It was a simple moment, yet profoundly powerful. Those girls weren’t just performing; they were telling the story of their town in their own way. This is what happens when children are given the space and support to shape their own narratives. It’s what Children’s Capital of Culture is all about, and it deserves to be understood far beyond Rotherham.
For too long, the arts have been marginalised in England’s education system. Since 2010, creative subjects have been squeezed out by a narrow focus on knowledge-based learning and exams. The Government’s recent commitments to strengthen arts access in schools are welcome, but if ministers want to understand the true impact creativity can have on children, young people and entire communities, they should come to South Yorkshire and see what’s happening here.
The Children’s Capital of Culture programme has shown what is possible when creativity is treated not as a luxury, but as a driver of opportunity and pride. Many Rotherham schools have always valued the arts, but limited funding and limited access to cultural opportunities held them back. Investment was urgently needed.
Since 2017, this young-people-led initiative has been providing exactly that: traineeships, skills development and the chance to co-create new events, festivals and public art. Run by Rotherham Council and supported by Arts Council England and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the programme has unlocked ambition and enabled schools to move quickly. In the past year alone, 120 schools have partnered with exceptional cultural organisations, giving more than 32,000 children and young people hands-on creative learning experiences.
Central to this work is co-production. Rather than adults deciding everything in advance, we ask: how can children lead? For Reach, our recent dance festival, young people chose the theme, music, movement and costumes. And made the creative decisions. In stark contrast to a top-down curriculum, they became artists and collaborators, not just pupils.
The evidence is clear: when children have agency, their confidence, wellbeing and learning outcomes all improve. Creative education also builds the communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills that Yorkshire’s future workforce will depend on. Creativity isn’t separate from economic need: it is central to it.
When children make an animation, design a game or curate an exhibition, they’re not just doing art. They’re exploring big ideas, taking risks, negotiating with others and discovering that their voices can shape the world around them.
Rotherham’s experience shows that the appetite for arts and creativity in schools is huge, and that when investment is made, children thrive. But this progress is fragile. To continue empowering young people to imagine bold futures for themselves and their communities, sustained commitment and funding is essential.
Yorkshire’s future depends on a generation that can think differently, work creatively and take pride in where they come from. Creativity isn’t an optional extra, it is the spark that will help our children, and our region, flourish.
Dr Becky Parry is creative learning manager at Children’s Capital of Culture.