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Why creative learning?

Change is occuring faster than ever in the word around us. We need to learn to cope with this change, and more importantly, learn to thrive on and it, and find positive ways of harnessing it for ourselves and others. This is where creative learning comes in. It gives young people the ability to imagine how the world could be different. Young people also need the confidence to try out their new ideas, the strength to cope with success or failure, and the tools to learn from their experience.

Creative Partnerships is a national initiative that started in 2002 with Derby Creative Partnerships starting in 2005, and Bolsover, Ashfield and Mansfield Creative Partnerships starting in 2005.

It aims to:

• raise the aspirations and achievements of young people and equip them with skills for life.
• develop the abilities of teachers and their capacity to work with creative professionals.
• encourage the continued growth of the creative industries.

"Young people need the tools to conceptualise how the world could be different and the inner confidence and motivation to make it happen. We understand that creativity is not simply about doing the arts - it is about questioning, making connections, inventing and reinventing, about flexing the imaginative muscles. We do believe, however, that working with creative professionals from many different art forms and disciplines help develop creative thinking, as these processes are central to the work of such practitioners."
Creative Partnerships 2003

It is clear that both schools and artists are passionate about this kind of work - not just as an exciting project for the pupils, but a chance to work together to find out more about the relationship between learning, teaching and creativity relating to their own working practice in their own settings.

Case Study of Creative Learning - Babbling Vagabonds in partnership with Cherry Tree Infants, Derby

Contact:

Creative Partnerships, Derby. email: Caroline Barth
Creative Partnerships, Bolsover, Ashfield and Mansfield. email: Chris Batstone
www.creative-partnerships.com

Resources:

Derbyshire County Council - Inspire creativity page, or view the Inspire Creativity policy document: (pdf 111 KB)
Inspire Creativity - Derbyshire celebration in July 2007. Derbyshire Schools can find out how to take part in this event via the Extranet
DCMS Nurturing Creativity in Young People report 2006 (pdf 863 KB)
School's Self Evaluation template from Creative Partnerships
Creative Partnerships' OFSTED Report  (pdf 143KB)