The Childrens Art School

Join us at Beaumont Park Play Day tomorrow 11am-3pm-drumming and den building- woohoo!! Plus lots of other fun!

Great opportunity for young people!

Hoorah for Bill Bailey,
This is what we’ve been saying for years! 🎨⚽

Nobody questions the value of grassroots football. We don't sign our kids up for local sports teams assuming they'll all turn into professional athletes or Premier League stars. We do it because sports build confidence, teamwork, health, and resilience. We all know it's fundamental for child development.

So why should art be any different? And where is the grassroots support for creativity?

We created The Children’s Art School and developed MakerWorld to address this exact gap—and to challenge the worrying decline for the creative industries in children taking up creative subjects at GCSE and beyond.

But not every child who picks up a paintbrush, sculpts with clay, or builds with cardboard needs to become a professional artist or work in the creative sector. That was never the point.

Every single child deserves access to creativity. It’s not just about training future artists; it’s about helping every child develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, fine motor control, emotional expression, independence of thought, and a deep understanding of the physical, material world around them.

Creativity is a core building block for life. Let's start treating grassroots creativity and play with the same value as grassroots sports.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1508949791261352&set=pb.100064390374539.-2207520000&type=3

Let us know what you think :)

Bill Bailey has made a point here about something that often gets overlooked.

Most people know him as a comedian, musician and entertainer, but he’s also passionate about the value of the arts and believes they deserve far more recognition than they get.

One thing that surprised many people is his claim that the arts contribute around £124 billion a year to the UK economy, far more than many realise. His point isn’t to knock football or any other industry, but to ask why something that contributes so much economically and culturally is so often treated as an afterthought.

He’s particularly concerned about schools, where music and other creative subjects are often the first to face cuts when budgets are tight. Bill believes learning an instrument or taking part in the arts doesn’t just help children become better performers, it teaches confidence, discipline, teamwork and skills that benefit them throughout life. He also points to evidence suggesting music can improve literacy and numeracy as well.

Another thing he’s passionate about is protecting traditional crafts and practical skills. He believes not everyone learns in the same way, and that creative and hands-on careers deserve just as much respect as academic ones.

Whether you agree with everything he says or not, Bill Bailey makes a strong case that the arts aren’t just there to entertain us. They help shape our culture, support jobs, inspire young people and deserve to be valued far more than they often are.

The amazing Graham Fitkin is coming to deliver our Seasons of Culture project - Roots & Branches - in the autumn and we can’t wait.

During the project children and families will contribute a uniquely Huddersfield response to a wider artistic exploration of biodiversity, ecological connection and environmental stewardship through making, sound and installation.

Listen to him taking about his project here (1.44).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002z77y?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

Got a musical child? Music workshops for 11-16yr olds this summer with HCMF - Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival
Booking via their website
:)

Open from TODAY!!

New funding means Huddersfield's brilliant MakerWorld is back at the Packhorse Centre this summer - Huddersfield Hub New funding means that Huddersfield’s much-loved MakerWorld programme is to continue for the rest of the year

Look! You can tell Kirklees council what sort of cultural offer is important to you! Of course we want more MakerWorld and a Children's Art Gallery- what do you want?
https://kirkleestogether.co.uk/2026/06/24/have-your-say-on-the-future-of-culture-in-kirklees/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_falmaexr0s&fbclid=IwVERDUASpK5pleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR7GCIFrPKdtfFriAMGhc4ihU0_Spvz3qC3UxE6afmtwBPCs1njl4f4i65gDkw_aem_hYXtsBzNq7tBBAufnHwPJQ