Motionhouse co-founder fears young people feel art 'not in their world'

The boss of dance-circus company Motionhouse has warned that a generation of young people could think art is "not in their world", as creative education in schools "continues to diminish".

Kevin Finnan, who founded the dance-circus company 35 years ago alongside executive director Louise Richards, said access to creative exposure was getting "worse and worse and worse".

His comments precede Motionhouse’s production of Starchitects at the Southbank Centre’s Imagine Children’s Festival.

The family-friendly show will play at the London venue from February 15 to 17, alongside events including talks by Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and Michael Rosen and a performance from the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Finnan called Starchitects and the festival "a marriage made in heaven", as he stressed Motionhouse’s desire to "allow everybody to appreciate what we do".

He said: "I personally came from a council estate, and I had never seen a show until I was in my early twenties, going to night school studying English, and they took me up to London to see a show and I was gobsmacked at how wonderful it was. I know about a world where you don’t get much exposure to stuff and I want to reach out and allow everybody to enjoy the work that we’re making."

He continued: "I think the key figure to the future of our relationship with the wider public is the lack of arts education in schools. As that continues to diminish, that whole sense that art can be for you, because you saw a bit in school, those moments won’t be there for a generation if we are not careful. They will just think of it as something that is not in their world – and that is a terrible thing, I think."

Taking place over 11 days during the February half-term, Imagine Children’s Festival makes use of relaxed performances, allowing for noise and movement alongside shows.

Audience members are free to enter and exit throughout, and "chill-out" spaces with noise cancelling headphones will be made available for adults and children.

Finnan said the approach tied in with his company’s inclusive approach, commenting: "We have been doing relaxed performances with our children’s shows and main stage shows wherever they are requested, when we’ are touring around the country and internationally.

"We are very happy to adapt with that, because the purpose with the whole thing is to allow everybody to appreciate what we do. That is the central mission in Motionhouse and relaxed performances are a stalwart part of that."

Imagine Children’s Festival will run from February 7-17, and is supported by donors including STIK, Kusuma Trust and the Embassy of the Netherlands.