Plans to put creativity at the heart of learning in Scotland

Plans for developing a more creative approach to learning are at the centre of a vision for a more creative Scotland, aiming to inspire educational policy makers and practitioners to embed creativity into teaching and learning. Developed by Creative Scotland with a wide range of partners working in education and creativity, the Creative Learning Plan will build on the Scottish Government’s Education and the Arts, Culture and Creativity Action Plan in 2010, which emphasised the importance of gaining understanding of the value of creativity by parents and carers, and proposed new policies and plans to support creativity in education and increased support for creative initiatives within local authorities and schools.

A series of ‘work-streams’ will now be developed to implement the new plan, including building capacity and expertise among learning providers and their creative partners; developing ‘pathways’ for lifelong creative learning; and finding new approaches to assessing creativity, including certification. Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell, said: “Creativity is at the heart of Curriculum for Excellence, delivering education in Scotland in an innovative and engaging way… Developing creativity in our children and young people will better prepare them for the ever-changing society in which we live and equip them well for the world of work.”

Among the specific action plans is the development of an online ‘creativity measurement’ tool. The Brewstometer introduces the principles of creativity and helps learners reflect upon creative experiences, including lessons, performances and gallery visits. It will also be used as part of a quality assurance process for creative practitioners wishing to be included in a directory of creative partners. The directory will be made available through the Creativity Portal, which aims to stimulate creativity through partnerships between the education sector and Scotland’s creative industries. Ruth Wishart, Chair of the Creative Learning Plan Strategic Group, is calling on educators to work with the plan to help create a creative educational environment for every learner. She says: “The ambition aim is to allow our young people to be the best they can be in a curricular environment where innovation is cherished, change is embraced, and we celebrate the fact that every child is a creative child”.