Children 'being denied vital access to a cultural life'

Children are being denied their right to enjoy music, art and drama, campaigners said today.

Action for Children's Arts says that schools should focus more on creativity, especially for younger pupils. The group, whose patrons include Quentin Blake, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Philip Pullman and Dame Jacqueline Wilson, has drawn up a manifesto that also states:

Ministers should put creativity, play and the arts at the heart of the school curriculum.

Government and media should ensure children's TV and radio broadcasts are of "high quality".

Schools should give pupils more time for play and creative activities and "the widest possible range" of cultural experiences.

Poet and Children's Laureate Michael Rosen said: "The one way to investigate the world is through arts. They are vital to all of us, but especially to children."

The group said Britain often fails to live up to obligations under a UN convention stating each child has the right to participate in cultural life.