Born Creative

Creativity and cultural engagement are essential ingredients in making our individual and collective lives rich. They are both key to developing the social capital that is so vital to social mobility over the long term. We know that nurturing creative potential must start from the very beginning – in children’s earliest years – and that many players need to be involved: parents, carers, teachers, schools and our cultural institutions. But there is less certainty about the best way for public policy to support the development of these creative capabilities.

The last ten years have seen a flurry of initiatives to make Britain more creative. New policies were written to support the creative industries. In education, programmes were initiated and the curriculum modified so children could learn through cultural experiences. But for many commentators there was a paradox - testing, monitoring and targets which were designed to ensure quality and 'excellence' jarred with creative organisations, people and processes who by their nature were looking for new ways of doing things.

Against a backdrop of unease about a prescriptive approach to creative learning and new restraints on public spending, this collection of essays will look at how children can have a more creative start in life. This volume will bring together academics, policy makers and campaigners to relay stories of innovative practice and to set out policies that might support creativity in the home, in early years education and in the wider public realm.

This collection is supported by Creativity, Culture and Education. Please get in touch with Charlie Tims if you would like more information.