“What are the arts for? Why do we encourage creativity? Why do we teach children to play, to perform, to paint?”

This is a very old question – one which a cultural leader in Britain  has just made a very direct statement about: the Arts Council Chief Executive  in the Times Educational Supplement.  

Key advantages of creativity learning mentioned include:

1. learning to understand key cultural references in conversation
2. understanding citizenship
3. to learn to play
4. learning spontaneity
5. learning to enjoy
6. learning how to create, not just passively consume other people’s creative works
7. supplying workers with creative, imaginative and technical skills into new industries involving virtual reality
8. teaching resourcefulness
9. creating adaptability
10. fostering ability to think up new solutions

 

As the pace of technological change quickens, schools must give children the capacity to be resourceful, to adapt to disruption and to dream of new solutions to the problems we all face. – Darren Henley,

 

Read More:

For a longer exposition on this, Darren has just published his book (a tidy 144 pages):

“Creativity: why it matters” by Darren Henley.

Published by Elliott & Thompson, June 2018.

Available in Hardback at Waterstones bookstores and also as eBook via Amazon (for just a couple of pounds).

 

Art and Power

In similar vein, Darren gives this talk on Art and Power (Durations: 13 mins)