Find Your Talent

Find Your Talent has run since 2008 as a pilot in ten areas across England. It was set up to find out what it would take to provide high quality cultural experience for all children and young people, regardless of age or ability.

The ten pathfinder areas offer children and young people regular involvement with arts and culture – both in and out of school. The programme gives young people the chance to learn musical instruments, perform on stage, attend performances and experience the great cultural heritage of the country. It also helps them develop new skills and get work experience in the fast-growing creative industries, including radio and television.

During this time it has been a real success, helping hundreds of thousands of children and young people by giving them access to cultural experiences - which have a big impact on personal development and develops life skills such as creativity, problem solving, and teamwork. It has worked with thousands of schools, early years and youth settings, cultural organisations, teachers and artists. It also increased our understanding about the barriers to access and how to overcome them, and initiated new strategic partnerships between local authorities and cultural organisations to ensure that the cultural offer for young people is more coherent and better targeted.

Find Your Talent was due to end in March 2011. Unfortunately, it is now being brought to an end during 2010 as part of a larger package of spending cuts carried out by the Government.

However, the lessons already emerging from the evaluation of Find Your Talent pilot areas will inform the continuing work of Creativity, Culture and Education and will be shared across the country with policymakers and practitioners to ensure that all children can experience and access the diverse range of cultural activity that England has to offer.

The Department for Education and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have jointly stated that "The valuable lessons which have emerged since the programme began will certainly not be lost" and that Find Your Talent "demonstrated just what it takes to deliver an excellent cultural education, both in and out of school".