The National Centre for Arts Education (NCAE)

Bringing access to high-quality arts education to over 10,000 schools

The Department for Education (DfE) is establishing the National Centre for Arts Education (NCAE) to increase young people's access to high-quality arts education in school and widen opportunities regardless of background.

As a key DfE delivery partner, we will begin delivery as soon as November 2026, alongside research partner Birmingham City University (BCU), and quality assurance partner the Chartered College of Teaching (CCT). NCAE will also be supported by Arts Council England, who have been asked by the DfE to support the Centre to develop relationships across the cultural education sector.

NCAE will be led by educational leader, researcher and music educator, Dr Steven Berryman, alongside a team of expert senior advisers, supporting more than 10,000 schools in underserved areas.

"I am honoured to lead the National Centre for Arts Education which will champion arts education and address inequality of opportunity, ensuring all young people are encouraged and empowered to hone their creative talents, regardless of their background. With falling numbers of young people engaging with creative subjects, it is imperative that we place renewed emphasis on the importance of arts and music educational pathways. I am excited to work in partnership with schools and the cultural sector to ensure an excellent arts education is possible for every school."

- Dr Steven Berryman, NCAE Executive Director

Boosting young people’s engagement with the arts

The establishment of NCAE comes at an important time for the arts and is critical to the government’s ambition to revitalise arts in school. NCAE will champion high-quality education in art and design, dance, drama and music, working with and building on the expertise and infrastructure that already exists across all four subjects. It will comprise four priority programme pillars:

Supporting excellent teaching through targeted professional development delivery
Promoting arts education
Overseeing the Music Hubs network (from September 2027)
Providing national strategic leadership and philanthropic coordination.

By connecting schools in underserved communities with cultural organisations and Music Hubs, it will make high-quality arts education easier to access, deliver and sustain.

NCAE will become a trusted source of information for pupils, families and teachers, championing the value of arts education by pairing classroom learning and enrichment opportunities with qualifications, further study and career pathways, including opportunities in the creative industries.

Leveraging system leadership models and delivery capacity

Etio brings extensive experience of system leadership models, including delivering the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) on behalf of the DfE. The NCETM coordinates the Maths Hubs Programme across England, supporting thousands of schools. NCAE will draw on similar principles to create a connected arts education ecosystem which empowers local system leadership, strengthens capacity, and improves opportunities for young people.

Working in collaboration with the sector to create access and opportunity

As the Centre develops, NCAE wants to hear from schools, teachers and arts organisations. A dedicated website will launch shortly, providing information on the programme and its further initiatives starting over the next few months. NCAE will also create an extensive engagement programme, through which education and cultural partners can share their perspectives on what high-quality arts education looks like in schools.

Title re our ambition, commitment excitement etc

NCAE's Executive Director, Dr Steven Berryman, explains... Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque faucibus ex sapien vitae pellentesque sem placerat. In id cursus mi pretium tellus duis convallis.

Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.

Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor.

Our NCAE Arts Directors

Each of our four Arts Directors will...leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.

Jen Langeskov

Director - Art

Laura Nicholson

Director - Dance

Matt Yeoman

Director - Drama

Louisa Roberts

Director - Music

Forthcoming information sessions

Through October, November and December Etio will be running a series of online information sessions designed to...

Audience/theme

This session....(brief description)

→

Audience/theme

This session....(brief description)

→

Audience/theme

This session....(brief description)

→

Etio's continued work in UK education

The National Centre for Arts Education is one of many flagship programmes entrusted to Etio by departments for education globally, including the DfE and Isle of Man's Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC).

Drawing on expertise in education review, transformation and workforce development we support national programmes that strengthen teaching quality, leadership development and learner achievement.

We are committed to delivering with impact helping - helping secure better futures through education; we are a trusted partner - leading the conversation but doing so within a culture of close collaboration with the sector; and we always strive to do the right thing - we put people first, always, because we know that however smart our solutions, when it all comes down to it, it’s people that make the difference.