Liverpool has been chosen as a host city for a new cultural programme designed to stimulate interest in the arts among school children.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Karen Bradley announced the Cultural Citizens Programme, which will grant youngsters unique access to cultural institutions, during a speech at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

Aimed at children aged between 11 and 14, the programme will provide free visits to local plays, behind-the-scenes access and museums and galleries, and exclusive trips to leading cultural venues.

Youngsters will have the opportunity to work with specially trained Culture Coaches to plan extra-curricular visits to festivals, theatres, galleries and museums and work towards a Bronze Arts Award.

Liverpool venues supporting the initiative include FACT, Liverpool Everyman, Tate Liverpool and the Museum of Liverpool, along with organisations such as Arts Council England, Curious Minds, Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport says: “Arts and culture are an integral part of British society – it boosts tourism, improves our wellbeing and provides a source of local pride and identity. We want to ensure that it is available to everyone, no matter what their background.

“The Cultural Citizens Programme will open doors for hundreds of young people across the country, so they can enjoy our fantastic arts and culture scene, and gain the skills to build careers in this thriving sector.”

The scheme, which will also be piloted in Blackpool, Birmingham, and Barking and Dagenham in east London, is part of a Culture White Paper drawn up by the government to increase engagement in the field of art and culture.

Two hundred children from the most disadvantaged parts of the pilot areas will be chosen to take part in the initiative.

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