We are announcing, with great sadness, that Creative & Cultural Skills is closing its doors.

The last few years have been challenging, as they have been for many organisations, and we have not been able to secure the funds needed to continue despite assurances from Arts Councils across the UK that our work is vital.

We are proud of what we have achieved in the twenty years we have resolutely stood up for a fairer, more equitable and progressive cultural sector. We are proud of the way in which we have evolved in response to our environment, working with sixteen Secretaries of State for Culture and fifteen Secretaries of State for Education, Innovation and Skills.

As the sector skills body for the cultural industries, we have run many impactful programmes and events, delivered thousands of advice and support sessions, fostered important relationships, authored research, established new ways of doing things and, most importantly, listened.

We know, because we have heard loud and clear through our consultation with creative and cultural organisations, colleagues in education and policy makers, that the mission of Creative & Cultural Skills must continue.

There remain skills gaps in our sector, and the cultural and creative workforce remains out of reach for many. There remains a need to support children and young people to translate their creative dreams and talent into creative careers. There remains a need for a radical rethink of the pathways towards creative careers, scrapping the ‘one size fits all’ approach that is currently benefiting too few. There remains a need to ensure that the widest range of people can access skills interventions to sustain creative careers and fulfil their potential in the creative industries, to build a highly skilled, productive and inclusive workforce for the future.

Addressing these needs is fundamental to powering the positive impact of the creative industries on individuals and communities, the environment and the UK’s global standing, as has recently been underlined by the Creative Industries Sector Vision.

We are enormously grateful to those of you across the sector and beyond who have worked with us, supported us and shared in our mission. We sincerely hope the story doesn’t end here.