What do you think when you hear the word ‘creativity’? It is certainly a term being emphasised across the education sector with practitioners encouraged to include a creative approach within learning. The 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report on Creativity Across Learning, published by Education Scotland defined creativity in relation to four key skills and attributes:
- Curiosity
- Imagination
- Open-mindedness
- Problem solving
These are all approaches regularly used within education settings but perhaps not fully recognised as ‘creative’. For a large number of our children and young people these four skills come naturally, which makes them highly responsive to a curriculum based on encouraging expression through the creative arts.
For young people, an interest in the world around them and sharing experiences with others across the globe is commonplace.
For young people, an interest in the world around them and sharing experiences with others across the globe is commonplace, as a result of increased connectivity through social media. The direct action taken by Swedish schoolgirl, Greta Thunberg, has inspired a worldwide movement of young people to combat climate change.
Planning for creativity
Planning for creativity may sound like an oxymoron but it is essential to supporting our young people to become informed, engaged and aware citizens, motivated to challenge injustice and take action for a fairer world. There are many available resources for encouraging creative learning and here we highlight just a few to support young people’s involvement with the natural world.
Young reporters
The Young Reporters programme which is delivered with the support of Keep Scotland Beautiful offers children and young people a chance to research and campaign on an environmental issue or concern of their choice. The programme provides an exciting, practical context for introducing the UN Sustainable Development Goals to young people, with a focus on sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production and climate action.
Natural materials such as pallets, sticks, stones and leaves… can inspire pupils to create small sculptures or a simple nature trail.
It can be developed as a part of the curriculum with a few pupils or with a class, and builds the confidence and self- esteem of young people as they learn skills in photography, film making, creative writing and interview techniques. Young people will improve their research, critical thinking and communication skills which is important in today’s fast changing world. Participation can also support collective action on environmental concerns by linking young people with others across the world through Young Reporters for the Environment.
Action on plastic
Of equal importance however, is the encouragement young people receive from taking action and questioning why we continue to damage our natural world. The Arts and Communities Association has been working with schools to support pupil accreditation through the John Muir Award. The Young Reporters programme has enabled young people involved in the award to explore the issue of plastic waste and littering. It is estimated that there are at least 51 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean alone, affecting marine life and others which feed there such as seabirds.
The young people have used a powerful animation, Sea Me, produced by the One World Centre to spread the word and promote their campaign to reduce plastic pollution.
Creativity in nature
Supporting young people to become active, informed citizens does not have to be expensive. The John Muir Trust offers training to support the implementation of the award. It is both educational and fun for learners and practitioners to use freely available, recycled or natural materials such as pallets, sticks, stones and leaves to create homes for wildlife within school grounds or a garden space. Similar materials can also inspire pupils to create small sculptures or a simple nature trail featuring positive environmental messages.
If a budget is available - Arts and Communities Association’s work with schools has been supported in part through the Pupil Equity Fund - it is possible to bring in external specialist artist support. The Creative Learning Teams based within local councils are a great place to start.
Our landscape is equally suited to exploring the personal and political.
Valuing the outdoors
Countries such as Norway have always valued outdoor learning and creativity within their educational curriculum. From a young age children are supported to see themselves as a part of the land, often cooking a hot meal over a fire using food they have grown or collected or using poetry and drama to reflect on their feelings about the natural world. Our landscape is equally suited to exploring the personal and political, if we can match young people’s capacity for adventure.
