Creative Conversations – this is your invitation to chat to Rachel McLean, (artist, film-maker and all round funny and interesting person!) and David Cameron.

Her show Happy & Glorious explored themes of class and national identity.  Her work is described as ‘slipping inside and outside of history and into imagined futures, creating hyper-glowing, artificially saturated visions that are both nauseatingly positive and cheerfully grotesque’. Her film A Whole New World, commissioned for the Margaret Tait Award 2013 in conjunction with Glasgow Film Festival, Creative Scotland and Lux takes on Scottish independence and British empire in her signature hyper-saturated and surreal style.

Date for your diary:

The next Creative Conversation,  titled ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, will be on Friday 15^th May at 2.00 till 4.15/4.30. You can arrive any time from 1.00pm onwards and a buffet lunch will be available – there will be a glass of wine offered after and you can continue the conversation with David, Rachel and colleagues (venue to follow with confirmation of attendance).

This Creative Conversation will look at how humour and creative talent can challenge our ideas about history, politics, class and identity – among other things…..

Senior pupils, particularly those studying art and design, music, drama, social subjects and media would find this interesting. If you have any senior pupils who would like to attend could you please let us know as soon as possible. (apologies for the short notice).

As always this will be a very popular Creative Conversation. This is your invitation and if you would like to come please get back to me directly. If you would like to bring a colleague, please tell me their name and job title. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. I’ll send full venue details and confirmation of your place next week.

We look forward to seeing you on the 15^th.

Linda

      Creative Learning Network:

Education Scotland in partnership with Creative Scotland has awarded City of Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian Councils funding to develop the Creative Learning Network. This will be based on extending the very successful approach developed by Edinburgh which a number of other authorities have adopted and adapted.

Creative Conversations are opportunities for colleagues interested in creativity and education across all sectors to come together and engage in high quality professional dialogue. Each Creative Conversation has a creative catalyst and the conversation is facilitated by David Cameron (the real David Cameron!). There is always opportunity to continue the discussion over a glass of wine in an informal setting. Each Creative Conversation is in an interesting venue and over 2014/15 will take place across the 3 local authority areas. Previous Creative Conversations have included well known figures such as Tim Brighouse, Keir Bloomer, Frank Crawford, Laurie O’Donnell, Hywel Roberts, Eric Booth, Heather Reid and many others. Conversations are always about creativity and have covered technology, funding, self evaluation and  preparing for inspection (creatively!), science and art, flipped learning and much more. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is just about art – it’s about creativity in the widest sense.

Linda Lees | Service Manager, Arts and Creative Learning | Schools and Community Services | Children and Families | The City of Edinburgh Council, Waverley Court, Business Centre 1/1, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG | Tel 0131 469 3956 | Mobile 07917 825007 | mailto:linda.lees@edinburgh.gov.uk | www.edinburgh.gov.uk