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Core Aim 4: ‘All children should have access to play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities’ and is aligned to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Articles 15, 31 and entitlements 8 and 9. The Convention requires that all children, including the very youngest, be respected as persons in their own right. Children have particular requirements for nurture, emotional care and sensitive guidance, as well as for time and space for play, exploration and learning.
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Culture, leisure and play activities are crucial in childhood, opening up a wide range of learning and development opportunities. Children living in poverty have their right to access and participate in sporting and cultural pursuits severely curtailed. They lack funds to pay fees and lack access to transport.
“Play is fundamental in every child’s emotional, physical and social development and it’s vital that every opportunity is taken to create an environment that supports this” Jane Hutt 2008
The role of local government & partners
Currently the majority of culture, leisure and arts services are discretionary services and dependent on a council’s priorities. It is suggested that using their new legislative powers the Assembly Government levy a new ‘Cultural Duty’ on public bodies. This duty, subsequent to appropriate additional resources, would be welcomed by local government. It is an important mechanism that could be used to engage more children and young people from deprived backgrounds in such services and would ensure that existing barriers to access and participation are broken down.
Policy and initiative links