Join the Movement:Pledge Your Support Today!
Children’s and Youth Arts Advocacy (CYAA) is a collective of leading arts agencies united to drive change for Scotland's children and young people. Our vision is for all children and young people across Scotland to access their right to inclusive, diverse, and transformative arts experiences.
With funding cuts threatening the future of Scotland's arts sector, it’s more crucial than ever to protect children's right to transformative, life-changing arts experiences. The CYAA Pledge aims to rally public and governmental support to ensure every child has the opportunity to benefit from the arts.
Click here to see what leading Scottish arts organisations and supporters are saying about the CYAA Pledge.
Sign the pledge today to join a powerful collective working to safeguard the future of Scotland’s youth and their access to the arts. Let’s make a difference together.
With funding cuts threatening the future of Scotland's arts sector, it’s more crucial than ever to protect children's right to transformative, life-changing arts experiences. The CYAA Pledge aims to rally public and governmental support to ensure every child has the opportunity to benefit from the arts.
Click here to see what leading Scottish arts organisations and supporters are saying about the CYAA Pledge.
Sign the pledge today to join a powerful collective working to safeguard the future of Scotland’s youth and their access to the arts. Let’s make a difference together.
Welcome to Children’s and Youth Arts Advocacy
Empowering Scotland’s Children and Young People!
Welcome to Children’s and Youth Arts Advocacy (CYAA), a coalition of Scotland’s leading arts agencies dedicated to ensuring every child and young person can access the arts.
Our vision is to drive change by advocating for inclusive, diverse, and transformative arts experiences that are a fundamental right, not a privilege. By championing the power of creativity, we work to empower Scotland’s youth through meaningful engagement in the arts, helping to foster their confidence, wellbeing, and personal development.
Join us in supporting this vital mission and help secure a brighter future for all young people in Scotland.
Promoting children and young people's rights to arts and creativity
Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (the right to take part in artistic and cultural activities) recognises the transformative impact of arts and creativity. Yet children and young people across Scotland still have limited access to creative opportunities. CYAA members work to promote and protect this right.
Our Members
Our members are helping to make a positive difference to children and young people's access to arts and creativity.
Why the Arts?
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 of enjoyment, but also a fundamental aspect of upholding their rights as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Inspiring Connections
Cultural education plays a key role in bringing communities together and strengthening parental engagement, helping to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports learning.
Building Skills for Life
Creative and cultural activities encourage aspirations, confidence, and teamwork in children and young people, as well as opportunities to build transferable skills to support future employability.
Health and Wellbeing
Arts and creativity help enrich our emotional world. Cultural education plays an important part in encouraging good mental health and wellbeing, and supports challenges such as depression and anxiety.
Children's and Youth Arts Advocacy is supported by Creative Scotland.
Thanks also to Culture Counts
and Education Scotland.
Image Credits
Header image: Parent and baby playing together at Starcatchers Saturdays. Our Members image: Children enjoying some performances at Edinburgh International Children’s Festival’s Family Encounters c. Imaginate and Ruth Armstrong. Why the Arts image: Starcatchers. Circle images left to right: OMG Production Shot, Bloom Media at Borders Book Festival and Jungle session at Starcatchers Play & Explore session.
