Introduction: what is ‘creative learning’?

Although Creative Partnerships began as a programme in 2002, it was conceived in response to Ken Robinson’s report All Our Futures published in 1999. Over its first two years, Creative Partnerships began to explore the intersections between creativity, culture and education and in around 2005 the term ‘creative learning’ came to stand as a shorthand description for Creative Partnerships’ contribution to school change, curriculum development and teaching and learning practices. Whilst one phrase is never quite going to sum up an entire programme, Creative Partnerships believed that the term captured its mission, significantly because of its attention to the learner, given how the programme has always been concerned to place the voice of the young person at the heart of its activities.