I moved on to the West Park Centre to have lunch with the Artforms team...

It was a wonderful opportunity to talk to this brilliant group of colleagues who have achieved so much over the last few years and reached so many schools and young people. In many of these schools the arts have a very special place within the curriculum and reach parts that other elements of the curriculum fail to touch. The arts build teamwork, listening skills, creativity and imagination within a coaching and learning culture where persistence, determination and hard work are the keys to excellence.

The arts impact on all aspects of learning in a school where colleagues are passionate about the potential of dance, drama and music to release the magic and the Artforms team are brilliant and enthusiastic advocates of a more holistic curriculum model where every child and every young person has a fundamental entitlement to the arts.

I sometimes wonder why we do what we do here in Leeds but spending time with great colleagues reminds me why I am here. It also makes me more sure that we need to passionate and completely believe in what we are doing and why we are doing it. As I said to the Artforms team if you are not enthused, inspired and motivated by what you are doing go and do something else which releases your magic because this work is too important and too critical to the future success of our great city.
Chris