Art changes lives. It lifts mental health, brings communities together, sparks learning, and drives economic growth — the evidence is overwhelming. Art Explora, we believe that everyone should experience the arts, wherever they live, whatever their background, whatever stage of life they're at. But access to the arts in England is shrinking fast.
Over 250 libraries have closed in a decade. Local arts funding has more than halved. We now spend less on culture than almost any other country in Europe. And the gap isn't closing evenly — deprivation, ethnicity and geography all shape who gets to take part, from primary school (where GCSE arts entries have dropped 42%, Cultural Learning Alliance 2026) right through to which towns have a museum or library worth visiting.
In May 2026, DCMS named 81 "Culture Priority Places" — areas where cultural attendance is lowest and need is highest. This is why Art Explora exists: to take the arts beyond the walls of galleries and concert halls and bring them directly to people — in their schools, their high streets, their communities. Not as a nice-to-have, but as something everyone has a right to experience. Every person we reach is someone who might otherwise never have had the chance. With your support, we can reach many more.
