The National Arts and Cultural Education Awards
Celebrating arts, culture and creativity for young people, in and out of school
We know that children and young people who take part in arts and culture live richer, fuller lives. But access to creative experiences is far from universal. Children and their families are too often excluded from participation as a result of social or economic inequalities.
These awards are all about celebrating the incredible, passionate people – teachers, teaching artists and creative practitioners, youth and social workers, health and wellbeing specialists and community volunteers – who are working to improve young lives by breaking down barriers to engagement with arts and culture.
To be in a room with so many people who are committed to serving children and young people’s lives and improving their experiences through creativity was an absolute honour.
Award winner, 2024
Leading nationally from the North
For the first time, Curious Minds is taking its popular Awards programme national in 2026, expanding eligibility to nominees and projects right across the UK.
Since our earliest Awards in 2017 and 2018, which honoured the best in the England’s North West, the programme has consistently showcased outstanding work and amazing changemakers in the field of art education and cultural learning. The team behind the Awards have always been blown away by the quality of submissions and the inspirational stories they told - even as the programme’s format developed and grew.
In 2020, we pivoted to respond the unique challenges of the Covid pandemic. Then, in 2024, we expanded the remit to cover all of Northern England, with the support of Arts Council England.
The time is right to broaden the Awards’ focus again. We have always known that brilliant and innovative people and projects are using art and creativity to make a real, lasting impact on the lives of young people everywhere in the UK. We’re incredibly excited to hear about and champion their stories in 2026.
It means a huge amount to use as an organisation. We’ve been on such a journey over the last 12 months.
2024 Award Winner
Award categories and timeline for entries
There will be 10 Award categories available to enter in 2026. These will be announced in January 2026 with criteria, eligibility information and guidance on how to enter.
At the same time, we expect to indicate when names of finalists for each category will be announced and the date of the Awards Celebration Day, which is likely to be in October 2026.
As with our past Awards programmes, there will be no cost to submit an entry.