Creative Partnership

What is Creative Partnership?

Creative Partnership is a programme funded by the government bringing in different creative approaches into the classroom along with arts and different culture across the curriculum. One definition of Creative Partnership is:

‘Imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are original and of value’

(NACCCE, (1999), cited by Craft, (2005) p.55)

The whole idea of Creative Partnership is to bring creativity to the curriculum as some research shows that the curricula lack creative due to formal education and learning what they have to know. Creative Partnership encourages children to get up and do something to learn, e.g. instead of reading a story, go to the theatre. They also get pupils to relate to what they have been learning about creatively and artistically.

There are many benefits of Creative Partnership as in some schools in situation of deficiency and underachievement, it is shown that one indicator of success in learning creatively may be illustrated and considered not only in terms of knowledge and understanding, but also in terms of ‘achievement, engagement with school, motivation, behaviour and reduction in unauthorised absences’ (Craft, 2005. p.56). Also another beneficial aspect is that creative learning has provided ‘motivation, self-confidence, achievement and working well with teachers and peers were all reported by the young people as having been improved by the experience.’ (Creative Partnerships Slough 2004. Cited by Craft (2005) p.56).

The QCA (Qualification and Curriculum Authority) (2005) has defines the evidence of learning creativity as:

1) Questioning and challenging

2) Making connections, seeing relationships

3) Envisaging what might be

4) Exploring ideas, keeping options open

5) Reflecting critically on ideas, actions, outcomes

(Cited by Craft (2005), p.55)

In October, my course group and I visited the Swansea Grand Theatre, to the art exhibition of work created by the local schools ran by Creative Partnership, Locws. Locws runs the Art Across the City project in Swansea, it is a big project that has been commissioning public art across Swansea city in response to the city by many artists. All these artwork that the children had made shown at the exhibition were mainly reflecting on what topic they have been learning.

The man who hosted the event have explained how the children at school have said that art should definately play a big part in education because they enjoy it thoroughly and are willing to take part in any lesson that is actively engaging.

This is a creation of a Robot made 
with headphones to represent the 
technology in today's society.









References

CCE, n.d. Creative Partnerships. [Online]
Available at: http://www.creativitycultureeducation.org/creative-partnerships [Accessed 8.07.2015].

Craft, A. 2005. Creativity in Schools: Tensions and Dilemmas. Oxon: Routledge.