Event Reports: Creativity Counts 2003

Creativity Counts: National Conference 30 October 2003

The conference took place at Heriot-Watt University on 30 October 2003. Delegates agreed it was the most successful yet - and it was also the largest, with well over 200 attending: teachers from all sectors, pupils, civil servants and local authority advisers.

Setting the PACE

Creativity was not just discussed; it was also experienced first hand. A team of around 50 young people from PACE Theatre Company were challenged to mount a dramatic portrayal of 'the school of the future'. The conference therefore opened with a workshop where pupils explored the ideas, before going away to work up a complete presentation in drama, music and dance. This then formed the climax of the day and the closing event of the conference. Conference Chairman Richard Coton emphasised that the organisers did not know in advance what ideas the young people would come up with. Would they complement the conference or completely contradict the ideas of the main speakers? There was a degree of risk - just as when we give young people ownership of work in the classroom. But the risk gives the reality and the impetus for achievement. The end result, he correctly predicted, would be a great success.

Creative involvement was also a key feature of the workshops which took place through the day. Pupils from each of the schools featured worked alongside their teachers to make highly dynamic presentations - and on occasions delegates found themselves rolling up their sleeves and taking the part that pupils might in a normal classroom.

Key speakers

Keynote speaker Alan Ogg HMIE emphasised the importance attached to creativity by the Inspectorate. Creativity, he stressed, is not 'yet another new initiative' but is rather a dynamic way of approaching what we do in the classroom.
PowerPoint file: Alan Ogg's conference presentation. (212 KB)

The conference was opened by Denis Stewart, Depute Chief Executive of LT Scotland, who spoke about the importance of creativity within the National Priorities in Education. 'Creativity Counts,' Denis continued, 'is also a very good example of the approaches being developed by the Assessment is for Learning programme'.

Richard Coton, as Chair not only of IDES but of the Creativity Counts Reference Group and the SEED Creativity Task Group, explained how the project offers very practical support to teachers. The quality measures for creativity were about to be published.

Creativity Counts had been developed at the same time as these measures, explained Richard. 'Creativity is perhaps the most practical and user-friendly resource for the evaluation and assessment of creativity in the classroom - we've looked at what is being developed across the world, and this approach is very much in the vanguard of development worldwide.'