Children's and Youth Arts Advocacy

Youth Theatre Arts Scotland are proud to be part of Children’s and Youth Arts Advocacy (CYAA), a collective of leading arts agencies working together to drive change for Scotland’s children and young people. We have strengthened our advocacy work through leading the group, as well as driving forward and shaping CYAA’s initiatives. Learn more about CYAA and subscribe to the newsletter using the link below.

We are working to collectively influence and advocate for all of Scotland’s children and young people to be able to access their right to arts which are inclusive, diverse, and transformative. In our constantly changing world, the importance of arts activities for babies, children, and young people has come into sharper focus. Access to such activities is not only a means enjoyment, but also a fundamental aspect of upholding their rights as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Visit the CYAA website

A Brief History of CYAA

Children’s and Youth Arts Advocacy (CYAA) was established in July 2020 as an informal advisory group, initiated by Creative Scotland. Initially known as the Arts in Education Recovery Group (AiERG), it brought together various national and specialised youth arts organisations from different sectors and art forms to provide guidance to the Scottish Government regarding the role of arts organisations and artists in the recovery of education following the impact of COVID-19.

We championed the distinct qualities of the arts, culture, and creativity in making a difference to the recovery and renewal of children and young people’s learning, mental health, and well-being as they emerged from the pandemic, but our role expanded beyond COVID-19 recovery. In September 2022, it was decided that a new name, Children’s and Youth Arts Advocacy (CYAA), would better reflect the group’s renewed focus, which encompassed the diverse range of settings in which children and young people in Scotland engage with learning, arts, and culture.

Aims of the collective

The group aims to improve awareness, vision, and strategy for developing children and young people’s access to arts and cultural experiences, with the role of arts, culture and creativity within learning and educational settings recognised as vital and supported accordingly. The objective is increased access and participation in arts and cultural experiences for children and young people.

Read CYAA’s advocacy framework

Who makes up the collective?

The group’s Associate Members are Creative Scotland, Education Scotland and Culture Counts.

CYAA plans to extend membership in 2025. If you’re interested to find out how you can become a member or supporter of CYAA’s work, please get in touch.