Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that says that children and young people in the UK have a right to high quality arts experiences as an integral part of their childhood and youth.
Maybe we should send this to Mr Gove and his team to reflect on?
Maybe we need to be more explicit about the benefits?
Key learning dispositions are developed through learning in and about the arts: our curiosity, imagination, creativity, innovation, enquiry, confidence, self-esteem and wellbeing. Qualities such as empathy, playfulness, surprise, ingenuity, sensitivity, flexibility, interpersonal tolerance, problem solving and self-aware learning are nurtured through our experiences in the arts.
5x5x5=creativity is focused on exploring children and young people researching and representing the world together, with adults supporting them. The research is based on a view of all children and young people as creative and competent; the adults see themselves as ‘researching children researching the world’, learning alongside children and young people. Everyone’s worth and their contributions are recognised; everyone’s ideas are heard and supported. Our evidence is that children spontaneously and creatively connect all forms of thinking and expressive representation, demonstrating their use of the ‘hundred languages of children’. These are life-wide creative skills that can enhance all of our lives.
Mr Gove’s call for high standards is not in question – but the quality of teaching depends on developing and supporting creative individuals, both adults and children. Role models in the community including creative professionals can widen expertise and support learning. The relationship between adults and young people is vital to support individual progress and wellbeing, to nurture the disposition to learn and to engage in real and meaningful learning experiences where children and young people take responsibility for their own learning. Please note Mr Gove …
Penny Hay
I completely agree with Penny when she says we need to develop and support creative individuals. in my many visits to schools and colleges, workshops with youth workers, i see beleagured staff cowed under the weight of almost everything. Many of the best ones will leave if they are constantly tasked to prove and monitor every movement, often having to answer ludicrous questions about how such and such activity achieved whatever.
do we need any more research projects to prove that access to creativity and culture, is benefical?
i recently read a document,(twenty pages long or more) i think commissioned by the arts council, that basically said that having writers in schools was a good idea.
it might be quicker and cheaper to do a research project with the title “Does creativity harm young people?” the answer would of course be no, and i could write it in ten minutes. i’d do it for free.
does anyone have examples of creativity harming people? or making results worse? or closing young minds off?
when culture is banned, the spirit will find away to express it, think of the poet in the stadium in south america about to shot, whose poems were smuggled out line by line. that’s how important it is.
anna
03.23.11 at 3:35 pm
Love Anna’s thought about turning the creativity question around- ie does increased creativity hinder or reduce learning and personal success? Ask Sir James Dyson. Billionaire and adviser to government on economic growth. Tee hee. Its not hard to get, as a a concept is it- not exactly rocket science, eh?
So why do the Mr Goves of this world (and of whatever political persuasion) have such a problem with creativity? I think its a kind of obsessive, paranoid semi-intellectually-processed public school-nurtured possibly slightly homophobic worry about namby pamby indulgement slightly hippy-ish messing about that can’t quite be quantified. And, as usual, its much easier to measure something if we can mark it out of ten or say it’s right or wrong or tick a box to confirm that its been achieved.
Which, ironically, brings me back to Mr Dyson. Listen, I am a fan, right, honest. Love the thinking. Love the desire to re-think the concept, challenge the design. But they do lose suction, you know, whatever he says, and they do fall apart. I’ve had 2- ruddy expensive and they’re not as good as a cheap panasonic. OK Hoover rant over. Hope my wife doesn’t read this.
03.24.11 at 2:51 am
Interesting thoughts Antony, although I think you could be challenged on your thoughts as to why people such as the Mr Goves of this world have an issue with creativity. There are plenty of reports and studies and writings that have gone on over the past decades that clearly show the results that creative thinking and practices can have and is having on those experiencing it. A very good example of this is ‘Out of our Minds’ by Ken Robinson. It is all there.
The question we need to be asking ourselves is what are we in this sector not doing right regarding lobbying government on the creative agenda? It seems that none of these issues are being taken seriously by those in the seats of power. Considering to our minds the evidence is all there and plain to see, therefore there must be a breakdown in how this information is being shown to the decision makers.
Who are his advisors on these policies? Who are the people we need to influence who will influence him? What is the most compelling, quantifiable evidence that can demonstrate what we are talking about in the most succinct way?
We are clearly dealing with a government that are deeply deeply conservative in all ways. Somehow we need to be able to share this evidence and the information we know in our bones to be right with them in their conservative way.
We may all agree that Arts, Creativity and culture is a Democratic right. Anyone who knows me knows that I believe that to the foundation of my being. But that doesn’t make any kind of difference long term if we don’t have a structure that can support it. I think we spend a little too much time complaining and wingeing about our position and being done to and not enough time strategically planning how we can inform those who are making the decisions. Sending Article 31 of the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child to Mr Gove and friends to reflect on and just being explicit about the benefits isn’t going to make an ounce of difference. We need to be cleverer than that.
03.24.11 at 12:13 pm
So Benjamin, all suggestions welcome. I have just come back from a meeting with Anna Craft and colleagues in London – a meeting about the Education Coalition for the 21 Century and we were discussing exactly that. How can we get to ministers? How can we influence policy? Is the right route via the civil servants or via the councillors or others? What will happen to our education system if it is led by individuals with a narrow view of learning and teaching? More later!
03.24.11 at 8:30 pm
Penny, I have many suggestions, but the problem is that they are worthless as long term solutions or the beginnings of solutions unless they are delivered in the right way.
That sounds like a fascinating meeting to have been at. And what were some of your conclusions? How are your answers going to be delivered and shared? Who is prepared to put themselves out there?
In thinking about this topic, I am struck that I don’t know who or what organisation is representing this viewpoint to government. Is there anyone? If there is, what status do we have to ask them what they are doing and how they are doing it, as it is clearly not working?
I think we know the answer to your last question already. I have seen it happening in many schools and have spoken at length about it with visionary Head Teachers who are hamstrung by the very narrow view that we are being told will save the future. I don’t think I am being dramatic when I say the future of this country is at stake. We have a very plausible and practical solution and the processes and practices by which that solution is implementable. Who do we talk to and if there is a strategy, how do we get involved?
03.25.11 at 4:18 pm
Why don’t you visit http://www.c4e21.org to find out more on the curriculum review and international comparisons .. I agree with you that the future of our children is at stake and we need collective action to make a difference.
03.27.11 at 6:48 pm
Isn’t this what CCE are doing or should be doing?
03.28.11 at 11:16 am
why can’t we go to direct straight to the ministers? it’s us who deliver the work, invent the projects, actually work with young people. i don;t want anyone representing me. i want to represent myself . there are some teachers and young people i would take with me, .
here’s the challange.
who is up for it?
how do we do it?
who would pay our fayre’s to London?
anna
04.01.11 at 11:36 am
Ministers also want facts. And you are right the research is there. The most succinct example I know of economic return on investment in “creativity” as far as it relates to Cornwall is the “Counting on Creativity” report prepared by Perfect Moment.
The link is http://perfect-moment.co.uk/wb/media/download_gallery/pm_cc_report_download.pdf
if you are lazy and want the summary that is http://perfect-moment.co.uk/wb/media/download_gallery/pm_counting_summary_report.pdf
The emphasis on this report was econonomic outputs from the Objective 1 investment…..not the discussion above about education BUT (I need hardlly say) the economic argument has a resonance with the current government. And lets face it this is where future jobs are coming from – creative young people. So if Anna is going up to represent this to ministers then I suggest this report is in their bag.
Here are some of the headline findings:
2. Headline figures • In total almost £43m was invested in the Creative Industries in Cornwall under Objective One
• Turnover in the sector grew from £326m to £421m between 2000 and 2004 – 29% growth (ABI statistics)• Approximately 350 ben eficiary companies and between 2,400 to 2,500individuals benefited directly from the sector support programmes• Employment in the sector grew by approximately 19% between 2000 and 2004, with an estimated 10,200 now employed in the Creative Industries in Cornwall including freelancers and sole traders. This compares with a national growth rate of 3% for the sector for the same period• The cost of creating a job in the sector through the Objective One programme was £23,864 of EU funding. This is in line with programme targets for cost per job creation as laid out in the Programme Complement in 2005 • Between 2000 and 2004 approximately 560 jobs were created in the sector • According to Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) statistics, Gross Value Added(GVA) in the sector increased by 34% between 2000 and 2004. The national figure according to Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) estimates was 7% for the same period
• £33m was invested in capital projects – including nearly £30m to the Tremough Campus for University College Falmouth• £9.88m was invested in business and skills support programmes to develop the sector• £9.88million investment of EU funds into the support structure stimulated the sector to generate an estimated £104m extra income• GVA per head for the sector in Cornwall is £28,540
04.07.11 at 11:26 am