High Hopes
January 22, 2021
Arts Award, Inclusivity & Lockdown
February 10, 2021
Arts Council launches online community to support teaching for creativity
This February, Arts Council England (ACE) has launched Creativity Exchange, a new online community to encourage teaching for creativity across the curriculum.
Designed for school leaders, teachers and cultural organisations who work with schools, this platform will be a place for creative inspiration and to share innovative practice in education. Nicky Morgan, Director of Special Projects at ACE, tells us all about their ambitions for Creativity Exchange, and how you can get involved.
What is the Creativity Exchange?
The Creativity Exchange is a space for school leaders, teachers, and cultural organisations to share ideas and reflect on what teaching for creativity means in practice. It is designed to bridge the recommendations of the Durham Commission in October 2019 (a collaboration between Durham University and Arts Council, to understand the role creativity should play in education) and the launch of the Creativity Collaboratives programme later in 2021. Creativity Collaboratives is a national network of schools, working together to develop a model to nurture creativity across the curriculum.
Why now?
During the past year, we’ve seen the education and cultural sector landscapes shift significantly in light of Covid-19. Whilst ACE anticipated rapid change in the first Commission report, we couldn’t foresee a global pandemic! Since March 2020, we’ve spoken with teachers and young people to understand the impact of the pandemic on schools and students. We’ve been continually inspired to hear that now, more than ever, the value and power of creativity is being recognised.
In our conversations, teachers have told us that creativity has a social and personal value, as well as being an essential tool to support children and young people’s learning. They’ve also expressed that developing a happy and well-adjusted young person is just as important as improving school performance and that maintaining a creative and collaborative culture in schools, even during lockdown, remains their priority. The Creativity Exchange is positioned to offer practical guidance and best practice on how to do exactly this; supporting teachers whom we know are under tremendous pressure. Covid-19 has had an impact on all of us, but perhaps most striking is the impact on young people and their education. We understand that embedding creativity within the education of all young people will make a hugely positive difference to their life chances and the Creativity Exchange will support education professional to make this to happen.
Get involved!
If you are a teacher, school leader or a cultural organisation that works in schools then there are several ways you can get involved:
The Creativity Exchange is a space for school leaders, teachers, and cultural organisations to share ideas and reflect on what teaching for creativity means in practice. It is designed to bridge the recommendations of the Durham Commission in October 2019 (a collaboration between Durham University and Arts Council, to understand the role creativity should play in education) and the launch of the Creativity Collaboratives programme later in 2021. Creativity Collaboratives is a national network of schools, working together to develop a model to nurture creativity across the curriculum.
Why now?
During the past year, we’ve seen the education and cultural sector landscapes shift significantly in light of Covid-19. Whilst ACE anticipated rapid change in the first Commission report, we couldn’t foresee a global pandemic! Since March 2020, we’ve spoken with teachers and young people to understand the impact of the pandemic on schools and students. We’ve been continually inspired to hear that now, more than ever, the value and power of creativity is being recognised.
In our conversations, teachers have told us that creativity has a social and personal value, as well as being an essential tool to support children and young people’s learning. They’ve also expressed that developing a happy and well-adjusted young person is just as important as improving school performance and that maintaining a creative and collaborative culture in schools, even during lockdown, remains their priority. The Creativity Exchange is positioned to offer practical guidance and best practice on how to do exactly this; supporting teachers whom we know are under tremendous pressure. Covid-19 has had an impact on all of us, but perhaps most striking is the impact on young people and their education. We understand that embedding creativity within the education of all young people will make a hugely positive difference to their life chances and the Creativity Exchange will support education professional to make this to happen.
Get involved!
If you are a teacher, school leader or a cultural organisation that works in schools then there are several ways you can get involved:
- Content on the Creativity Exchange will be varied, topical and current. The site will host webinars, provocations, blogs, case studies, links to research and practice. We want your ideas and contacts to keep the content fresh! Please encourage schools and cultural organisations to contribute content, from simple practical ideas, to case studies and articles, by getting in touch with the team.
- Connect with other teachers and school leaders to get new ideas and discuss how you teach for creativity using #CreativityExchange on Twitter where we will be sharing your suggestions!
- Lastly, keep the conversation going by sharing our content on Twitter using #CreativityExchange so we can reach more educational professionals and advocate for the value of teaching for creativity.
Author: Nicky Morgan, Director Special Projects at Arts Council England
