A Manifesto for Children’s Arts has been published by lobbying organisation Action for Children’s Arts, encouraging the government to provide consistent, long-term funding and strategic support to ensure that all children have full and equal access to the arts. Published on July 21 2008, the wide-ranging document includes recommendations that the arts should have a full place in the training of primary school teachers.

Inspired by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Manifesto suggests that the Arts Councils should ensure that work for children and families has equal status with work for adult audiences and that local authorities must provide the resources and facilities to enable all children and families to take part in the arts outside school.