Too often, arts and cultural education, is viewed as nice to have and not essential to the education of children and young people. We are leading the fight to make the case that cultural education offers so much more to the life chances of young people.

Take Claude Monet and the Impressionists movement. They are famous not for their skills with a brush but more how they bravely explored an idea, understood it and shared it with others.

Behind every creative hero is this creative process. Da Vinci engaged with it so did Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, The Beatles and Steve Jobs. Today, Will.Iam engages with it, as does Steven Spielberg and Dan TDM. Creative Heroes are great creators, innovators, movers, shakers and disrupters of the world we live in.

Imagine a world without creativity and culture. No more music, Netflix originals, You Tube, or JK Rowling before bedtime. If we can take Creative Hero Day beyond dressing up and the school gates, to celebrate the power of culture in our lives, together we will reignite ideas, raise aspirations and promote the value of creativity for life!

We are already reaching over 140,000 children through our work. We are working across the Midlands, targeting our work to address disadvantage and equity of access for all children and young people. We are on the ground, investing in partnerships, projects and services to scale support and reach more children, and quicker.

The situation is complex, cultural education in schools and our communities is in crisis with resources reduced and specialist provision in continued decline. There is however compelling evidence that creativity not only improves educational attainment but also significantly increases the personal, social and economic life chances of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in our communities.

The money you raise through Creative Hero Day will help us to be there for the children and young people, schools and our partners who need us the most.

Your support will provide children and young people with a chance to develop their creative voice and make a difference to their own lives!