Much of the past few weeks have been spent preparing to become a Creative Practitioner in schools, as part of the Creative Partnerships Programme run here in Kent by Future Creative. Apart from having completely exhausted the words ‘creative’ and ‘creativity,’ it’s been a really interesting and worthwhile experience so far, as much for the opportunity it’s given me to think about my own work as for the chance to apply my skills and experience directly in education. 

Earlier this month I attended Future Creative’s Creativity in Practice course at Bore Place Farm near Sevenoaks. I made a lot of new er… creative friends and began to get to grips with the principles and er… creative processes that will enable me to devise and run successful er… creative projects in schools that both engage students and meet the hopes and aims of the teaching staff.

During the summer term I’ll be working with the Science Department at Brockhill Park near Hythe, a school which has, over the last few years, very successfully built its learning culture around arts and creative thinking. It’s well known for its excellence in Performing Arts, but encourages creativity right across the curriculum. I’ll be working with the teachers to develop some project ideas, possibly an exploration in science fiction encompassing topics such as of alternative energy, the environment and healthy lifestyles.

And ultimately, the hope is that this work will also lead nicely into my involvement in the government’s £25 million Find Your Talent programme, an initiative aiming to provide young people with five hours of quality cultural activity a week, which is being piloted here in Shepway (one of ten pilot areas) over the next couple of years.