Burberry Inspire

Over the last few years getting creativity into classrooms has been harder than ever. We’ve been devastated to see schools pushing students to focus on sciences while leaving arts and humanities to one side (when we think both areas work brilliantly together). We think it’s time for the arts to shine. And we’re using science to help us do it.

We’ve seen for ourselves the difference creative learning can make to students’ lives.

Now, with the help of the Burberry Foundation, Policy Institute at Kings College London and four creative powerhouses: Northern Ballet, The Hepworth Wakefield, Leeds Young Film and Leeds Playhouse, we’re about to prove the power of creativity by starting the biggest creative experiment of its kind. It’s called Burberry Inspire.

We’re giving eight schools in Yorkshire their own artists in residence

For the next four years actors, artists, dancers and filmmakers – all from our creative partners – will get hands on in classrooms and inspire young people to develop their own creative events for the local community.

We’ll be there too, working alongside the Burberry Foundation, who’ve worked so hard to develop the programme, to make sure everything runs smoothly.

By the end of the project, the team at Kings will have answers to three questions.

Does working with artists and creating cultural events:

• improve students’ grades in other subjects
• boost young people’s self esteem
• give students more aspiration?

We think we know the answers already, but we can’t wait to make it official.

The project’s just getting started. If you’d like to know how our schools get on, follow their progress on Twitter and Instagram #BurberryInspire

And here’s a word from Leanne Wood, a Trustee of the Burberry Foundation and Chief People, Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer at Burberry:

“We believe that creativity should be nurtured, and we are passionate about championing the benefits of making arts and culture available to all. We want to inspire young people across the country to explore the wide variety of ways they can be involved in the creative industries, and help to create a wealth of talent for one of Britain’s most important sectors.”

We couldn’t agree more.