Professor Jonathan Vaughan's address to the Labour Creatives Conference

Esteemed Shadow Cabinet members, and distinguished guests – as Principal of Guildhall School of Music & Drama, it's my pleasure to welcome you all today.

Founded nearly one hundred and fifty years ago by the City of London Corporation, Guildhall School stands as a beacon of creativity and excellence. 

And today the City Corporation is one of the UK’s largest funders of arts, culture and heritage, managing and supporting many leading institutions, including the Barbican Centre, Museum of London, Tower Bridge and London Metropolitan Archives.

Here at Guildhall School, with over one thousand students from sixty nations, we're proud to be one of the world’s top ten performing arts institutions and ranked number one in UK league tables from both the Guardian and Complete Universities Guide. Our innovation and research were also recognised as world-leading in the latest Research Excellence Framework.

Whether in awe-inspiring performances or ground-breaking productions, the brilliance of our young artists never fails to inspire. I hope you enjoyed the performance of Guildhall Brass twenty-two, and our string players as you arrived.

Our supremely talented alumni, from Hollywood stars to Grammy winners, showcase the transformative power of artistic education. Notably, in an audacious demonstration of transferable skills, one of our former students even ascended to become Leader of the Labour party – Sir Keir, it's a pleasure to welcome you back.

As we all know, the arts are not merely expressions of culture but contribute an estimated one hundred and twenty-five billion pounds per year to the economy, and employ over two and a half million people. Here in the City of London, our proximity to some of the world’s largest financial institutions further reflects our sector’s economic potential. 

In navigating the challenges of arts funding and the integration of technology, we must continue to foster and champion creative partnerships and cultural diversity. The arts enrich and illuminate our humanity, and fuel the great British success story of this country’s creative talent. UK creativity is recognised around the world – let’s do more to celebrate and champion it globally. 

Reflecting on my own journey from a comprehensive school in a coal-mining town, I am aware that without free music lessons I would not be standing here today.

Which is why our Guildhall Young Artists programme is dedicated to lifelong learning by providing weekly opportunities for one thousand six hundred schoolchildren, forty percent of whom come from underrepresented backgrounds. We believe that by investing in the creative dreams of every child, regardless of their background, we not only enrich our cultural sector but also empower individuals to chart their own path to success. 

Thank you to Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Thangam Debbonaire, and to Guildhall School board member Emily Benn – two halves of the Statutory Instruments string quartet – for making today happen. Thank you to the team at the Labour party and to colleagues at Guildhall School and the City Corporation for all their work behind the scenes over the past days, weeks and months. And thank you to all of you for coming! Please visit us again and support our wonderful students. I hope you have a brilliant day.