On May 13 a petition will be presented to government to reinstate Creative in Schools, a programme that ran from 2019 to 2024, partnering schools with artists. That programme was a response by the last government to the perception that the arts in education was in crisis.
Yet, it's not just in the classroom that the arts on offer for the young are showing some worrying signs.
In late 2023 the National Theatre for Children at Capital E closed after 29 years. Then, last Christmas, after a 33 year run one of the country's few other professional children theatre companies, Tim Bray Theatre Company closed.
Recently we've also seen the loss of busy puppet company Little Dog Barking, theatre company Ensemble Impact and the celebrated Young and Hungry theatre and new writing programme.
Dr Kerryn Palmer is a senior lecturer at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University. A seasoned theatre practitioner and teacher, with a PhD in devising theatre for and with young audiences, she is a fierce advocate for the role of theatre and the arts for the young.
She currently also facilitates national network PAYPA (Performing Arts and Young People Aotearoa).
She believes systematic change is needed and joined Culture 101.
