Leading actors and artists back Labour’s push for more creativity in schools

The fifth of Labour’s missions, announced on Thursday, is to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

A group of prominent actors, artists and authors have praised Labour’s proposal to instil more creativity in the school curriculum, saying the arts currently risk being “a pursuit that only the most privileged can follow”.

The open letter, signed by Grayson Perry, Olivia Colman, Simon Rattle, Adrian Lester and Patrick Stewart, follows Keir Starmer’s pledge to reprioritise creativity and other “human” skills in a world of artificial intelligence.