2018

Focusing on creativity

Creativity was the focus for the 2018 Summit held on 12 June 2018, at the Pullman Hotel, Brisbane. Nationally and internationally, creativity is increasingly the focus of attention from governments, business leaders and educators. The second goal of the Melbourne Declaration of Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA, 2008) is, “All young Australians [will] become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens”, thus placing creativity as of central importance for Australia’s future. Some leading educators and businesses take the view that we are moving from the technical, manufacturing-based economies of the 20th century to a creative economy in the 21st.

While creativity finds a natural home in The Arts, one of the eight key learning areas of the Australian Curriculum, in fact creativity moves in and across disciplinary boundaries, and creative individuals and creative works are evident in all works of life. This view of creativity has been taken up within the national, Australian Curriculum where ‘Critical and Creative Thinking’ is one of the cross-curricular General Capabilities. In the contemporary world context, characterized by rapid change, the capacity to see things in new ways and to devise innovative approaches, processes and solutions is critically important. Rather than creativity being a quality that belongs to the few, inspired individuals amongst us, all humans have creative potential. Schools and educational institutions have a vital role in providing access for all young people to the creative learning to which they are entitled.

High-quality initial teacher education (ITE) programs are crucial in ensuring that teachers are well-prepared to design, manage and engage in creative teaching-learning processes. To this end, Griffith University’s School of Education and Professional Studies, with the support of key stakeholders the Queensland College of Teachers and the Queensland Council of Deans of Education, staged this Summit to discuss how ITE programs can best prepare the creative educators of tomorrow.

The Summit considered:

teaching creatively: using novel and inventive approaches to make learning more engaging, interesting and effective
teaching for creativity: approaches designed to develop and enhance learners’ own creative thinking processes
and explored strategies for equipping teachers with the knowledge, skills and values required to contribute to the creative futures for all young Australians.

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