Dear Supporters, My last update was all about the fresh threat to music education in our schools: the Government’s plans for a new EBacc. This brand new plan would mean that every pupil taking their GCSEs would have to study a minimum of seven GCSEs: English literature and English language, maths, double or triple science, a modern and/or ancient language, history and/or geography. This would leave little or no room left for pupils to study ANY creative subjects. The arts would be squeezed out of some schools altogether. This is a tragedy for this generation and generations to come. We made sure our feelings were known by responding to the Government’s consultation which closed on 29 January. Now an even bigger opportunity has presented itself – and we can’t miss out. More than 77,000 people have signed a new petition calling for a debate in Parliament on arts education and the EBacc. If this petition gets 100,000 signatures before 9 May 2016, the EBacc and the exclusion of design, dance, drama, music, art and other creative subjects - risking the very foundation of a creative education for our children - could be forced to be debated in Parliament. We have just two months to get it to 100,000 signatures. To hit this target we need the petition to get almost 400 new signatures a day. I need your help to make this happen. Sign the Parliamentary petition by visiting: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/111731 ... and help us drive towards to this crucial point in the fight against this damaging Government proposal. Together we can save creativity in schools. Best wishes, James