Report calls for increased role for culture in the curriculum and closer ties between schools and the creative sector.
Government Ministers have welcomed a new report which sets out a framework to increase the role of creativity in schools and to build strong and sustainable connections between the creative and educational sectors. The report, which was commissioned last year by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills, lays down eight principles for the Government to use as the basis for its future policy on creativity. Acknowledging the contribution of the creative industries to the British economy, the report, Nurturing Creativity in Young People, has the ultimate aim of bolstering the creative sector and of encouraging creativity across the whole workforce.
The report, which was published last week, was written by Paul Roberts, a leading educationalist and Director of Strategy at IdEA (Improvement and Development Agency). He argues that while there are currently a number of educational initiatives which support creativity, these are not systemically supported. He contends that, as schools are given more autonomy, this fragmented approach is likely to result in many children missing out on opportunities to explore their creativity, concluding that there is a need to construct a more coherent creativity offer which is then actively managed/brokered into the new context of school and personal autonomy.
The report cites eight key areas the Government needs to address. These include: incorporating a creative approach into the Governments schools building programme; developing partnerships between creative industries and schools; integrating creativity into teacher training; and the development of creative behaviours in the early years. Further expansion of the Arts Award scheme and a review of creativitys place in the curriculum are also encouraged. Roberts argues that creativity needs to be placed more centrally in the curriculum with increased acknowledgement of non-traditional creative endeavours. He cites the importance of helping the generation brought up with rip-mix-burn as their motto to link with the creative and cultural industries and for the education system to be refocused to acknowledge and encourage all creative behaviour.
The report makes a range of specific suggestions about how these aims might be achieved but avoids detailing the roles that might be played by specific organisations. At one point, it suggests that a continued but reduced role might be found for Creative Partnerships, but later it advocates the national roll-out of a programme that makes greater use of the wider pool of talent available in the arts world. Speaking at the launch of the report, Culture Minister, David Lammy, said, Arts and culture can fire young peoples creativity and have an essential role to play in education. Thats why we need to build strong and sustainable connections between the creative and educational sectors. The Government is now considering the report and its recommendations, and has pledged to publish a response and action plan in the autumn.