Unlocking children’s creativity – making artists the key

 

Conference in Brussels

 

 

 

 

For 18 months, the international project Artists in Creative Education has focused on using artists and cultural activities to unlock creativity in children and young people in schools. The four partners from across Europe - Creativity, Culture and Education, CCE, (UK), Cultuur-Ondernemen (Netherlands), Drömmarnas Hus (Sweden), and Kulturkontakt Austria have worked very successfully together. All in all, 25 artists from nine European countries have met, worked incredibly hard and shared their experiences of working creatively in primary schools, mainly in deprived communities.

 

 

 

The big finale of the project was a conference held in Brussels on 6 October. 160 participants from 27 countries from across Europe and beyond met at the Bronks Theatre. The aim of the conference was to address the role artists play as creative partners in schools by combining the knowledge of leading international experts, artists, educators, politicians, policy makers and EU representatives.

 

The conference was a varied, very lively, challenging and productive event and what emerged from it was a clear sense that a network to support this work in the future was an important next step. Notable speakers at the conference were Mary Honeyball (MEP) and Karoline Zielinska (Chair of the Culture Affairs Committee of the EU and Senior expert in the Polish Ministry of Culture). The day included a live link-up with classrooms in the UK, India, Tanzania, Russia and Brussels led by artist Mike McGrother. This brought children right into the heart of the conference, had all the delegates on their feet and brilliantly illustrated approaches to working creatively across national boundaries.

 

 

 

Paul Collard (CEE) made ​​an inspiring and thought provoking presentation about the achievement of the project. Later everyone participated in one of four imaginative and diverse artist led workshops – these workshops succesfully illustrated some of the wonderful creative practice which exists in Europe, which has been evident throughout this 18 months project. After lunch there was room for all participants to take part in a World Café to debate and discuss key themes related to this agenda, then followed a presentation of the Artists in Creative Education – Practical Guide led by Chrissie Tiller and Sara Clifford. The conference concluded with a final discussion and an agreement of next steps.

 

 

 

One of the overall aims of the project has been to produce a practical guide to share our experiences and support artists to work creativity in education. The guide was launched at the conference in Brussels.

 

 

 

Download the full guide for print here.

Download the guide as a text version here.