Press release - 19 June 2002

NUT and NCA promotes 'Creativity in Education' agenda

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National Campaign for the Arts (NCA) will be holding a conference on 3 July 2002 at which Estelle Morris, Secretary of State for Education and Baroness Blackstone, Minister for the Arts will be outlining the Government's intentions to promote creativity across the field of education.

Professor Ken Robinson, Advisor to the President of the Getty Foundation and former chairman of the UK National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (NACCCE) will also be following up on the work outlined in the Committee's ground-breaking report - All Our Futures which proposed radical changes within education in order to enable creativity to flourish.

The conference - Creativity in Education - follows on from publishing a summary of 'All Our Futures' - the report by the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (NACCCE). The report holds key messages and proposes a radical revision of the education system, placing creativity at the centre of all subjects.

Ken Robinson, Chairman of NACCCE said, 'On behalf of the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education I am extremely grateful to the NUT and NCA for arranging the conference. The Government has rightly emphasises the necessity of effective programmes of creative and cultural education alongside raising standards in literacy and numeracy. This conference will help to determine what further action needs to be taken to ensure that creativity is secured at the heart of the education agenda.'

Victoria Todd, Director of the NCA said 'The importance of a creative and forward thinking education system has been increasingly recognised by everyone from business leaders to policy makers as the key to the future success of young people in Britain. This conference will give key policy makers and opinion formers the chance to hear at first hand of the further action that needs to be taken in order to embed creativity at every level of education. We congratulate the government on the work that it has taken so far on this issue but we must take this opportunity to press for further change.'

Support for the issues raised in the original NACCCE report has been widespread. Teaching unions and subject associations across the fields of science, technology and the arts have enthusiastically actioned many of the reports' recommendations. Over 20 subject associations will be represented at the conference together with leading figures from the fields of the arts and education.

Doug McAvoy, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers said 'I am delighted that though our partnership with the NCA that this conference is taking place. Creativity is vital in encouraging and motivating young people to learn. It would be inconceivable to teachers not to have creativity at the centre of their work.'

Melvyn Bragg, President of the NCA said 'The development of an education system which puts creativity at it's heart is the key to preparing young people to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The National Campaign for the Arts welcomes the Government's commitment to enhance the place of creativity and culture in education.'

The conference - Creativity in Education - will take place at Tate Britain and the London Institute on 3 July 2002.

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