Category Archives: East Ayrshire

CLN News, East Ayrshire

Creative Minds on the Agenda

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Author Gordon Brown, from Glasgow, gave the keynote speech – and food for thought – at a recent ‘Naturally Creative’ event in St Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock

Around sixty teachers, artists and students from across East Ayrshire interested in networking and finding out more about what’s going on in the arts attended the evening, which was organised by the Council’s Creative Minds Team.

“The Creative Minds Learning Network in East Ayrshire is growing both in numbers and diversity of  membership.  It’s fantastic to be part of this exciting movement of people championing arts and cultural education in our schools and the wider community.  Gordon’s presentation created a real buzz of dialogue and activity challenging the way we work and how we do things providing a stimulus for thought and action.”  Helen Duncan, Cultural Co-ordinator

Gordon, who delivers ‘creativity training’ under the Brain Juice brand as well as writing crime novels, shared his ideas about what creativity is and how it works. This sparked discussion about the role of creative minds in business and about the value of teaching creativity in schools.

Those who attended the get-together also had a sneak preview of the outstanding new St Joseph’s Academy art exhibition.

Many took advantage of opportunities to meet and chat with fellow artists, teachers and parents in a friendly, informal setting.

People were also invited to put their names down for future workshops, visits and experiences, as the new Creative Learning Opportunities training diary for 2013/14 was launched.  The network is part of a national initiative funded by Education Scotland and Creative Scotland.

Councillor Eoghann MacColl, Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning, said: “There’s quite a network locally of artists, practitioners and people simply interested in the arts and culture.

“I’m delighted that the Creative Learning Network provides such a stimulating forum for like-minded individuals to get together and discuss ideas in this way, in order to enhance creative, artistic and cultural education for our young people, in line with Curriculum for Excellence”.

Helen Duncan

Cultural Co-ordinator

East Ayrshire Council

Educational & Social Services

Creative Minds Team

The Wallace Building

John Dickie Street

KILMARNOCK

KA1 1HW

T: 01563 555 650

www.facebook.com/#!/helen.duncan.313

www.facebook.com/CreativeMindsLearningNetwork

CLN News, CPD, East Ayrshire, Events

Creative Minds Learning Network, East Ayrshire: “Naturally Creative”

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Tuesday 17th September, 4.15pm for 4.30pm, St. Joseph’s Academy, Grassyards Road, Kilmarnock, KA3 7SL

Keynote Speaker: Gordon Brown, Brain Juice

Once again the Cultural Co-ordinator Team within East Ayrshire’s Creative Minds Team has successfully secured funding from Creative Scotland and Education Scotland to continue to support our growing movement of professionals championing cultural education in our schools and communities.  This promises to be an interesting, informative and enjoyable event providing a platform to connect and collaborate with new partners, generate ideas and make things happen.  Please feel free to share this invitation with anyone you think would be interested in coming along or you feel would benefit from taking part.  All we ask is that they contact us with their details (name/designation, artist etc/establishment) so we have a handle on numbers. There will, as always, be an opportunity to connect with colleagues, teachers, artists, parents and pupils in a welcoming and friendly environment, enjoy our hospitality and a special preview of St. Joseph’s Academy Art Exhibition.

We will also launch our Creative Learning Opportunities Training Diary for 2013/14 which offers workshops, funding advice, visits and experiences to name only a few, and we invite you to book your creative learning opportunity of choice at the event.

As well as being a successful author, our keynote speaker Gordon Brown, has over 25 years experience in sales and marketing, including 14 years with Bass Brewers and as Director of Brands for the Tennents portfolio. He will share his knowledge and ideas to provoke discussion about the role and importance of creative minds in business and to fully recognise the increased value in teaching and nurturing creativity skills in schools. http://www.gordonjbrown.com/about-2

We hope you will continue to support the network in order to safeguard and shape the future of arts and cultural education in East Ayrshire.  Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you require any further information at this time.

Please RSVP eileen.skinner@east-ayrshire.gov.uk to confirm your attendance if you haven’t already done so through Facebook www.facebook.com/CreativeMindsLearningNetwork

Sent on behalf of Helen Duncan, Cultural Co-ordinator and Zara Smith, Dance Motivator

Creative Minds Team, East Ayrshire

CfE, East Ayrshire, Events

Enspire Festival of Ideas – S4 Enterprise project, St Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock

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‘Enspire’ is an exciting new festival taking place on 9 June run entirely by young people in St Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock. Inspired by the world famous TED Talks a team of S4 pupils from St. Joseph’s Academy in Kilmarnock have organised their own home-grown festival of ideas: Enspire.

Enspire<http://www.saintjosephsacademy.co.uk/enspire/> is being designed and curated by an S4 Enterprise class who have established an events business called ID Launch. They have been working towards this all year. The purpose of Enspire is simple: to harness energy, creativity and ideas to make a difference by thinking differently. The festival is based around three powerful words: reinvention, inspiration and transformation. All presentations will take as their starting point the themes of reinvention, inspiration or transformation. The festival also features bands, comedy, entertainment and great local food cooked by their pop-up restaurant.

The festival is open to anyone to attend.  Please contact St. Joseph’s Academy School Office on 01563 526144 for more information.

CLN News, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire

Sharing Ideas, Thoughts and Dreams – news from East Ayrshire CLN

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East Ayrshire Creative Minds Learning Network hosted an informative,
entertaining and enjoyable event on Tuesday 26th March, held at Dumfries
House, Cumnock.

Keynote speaker, Professor Brian Boyd stimulated discussion about the
future of arts in education and placing creativity at the heart of
learning.

Councillor Stephanie Primrose, Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning, who
participated in discussions said:

“This event provided an extremely valuable opportunity for local people to come together and talk about creative learning.  It follows on from the establishment of a successful Artist Network, which is supported jointly by East and South Ayrshire Councils.  The networking opportunities undoubtedly strengthened links between parents, schools and the artist community and I am proud to be a
part of this initiative.”

Over 60 people attended in one of Scotland’s most beautiful stately
homes, including teachers, classroom assistants, parents, carers and a
wide range of artists.  Over the past year, East Ayrshire’s CLN has
provided high quality professional development opportunities to members
including Garageband for Beginners, How looking at Art Can Support CfE,
Classical Indian Dance, 10-week Dance Leadership Course, Primary
Conducting and Repertoire, Scottish Ballet ‘Nutcracker’, Alcohol and
Drugs Awareness through Creative Learning, Heritage Arts and the
establishment of a strong Artist Network.  East Ayrshire CLN has more
than doubled its membership this year, with over 250 participants.

“This year our network has grown considerably, both in size and diversity
of its members.  I am overwhelmed with the support and positive feedback
from participants sharing their learning and experiences with teaching
colleagues and pupils, parents with their children at home and the
successful establishment of an Artist Network.  Not only this, but by
bringing together like-minded individuals, dynamic new partnerships have
been formed whilst providing motivation for their own learning and
teaching in meaningful and fun ways.”  Helen Duncan, Cultural Co-ordinator

The Creative Learning Networks Fund is managed by Education Scotland, in
partnership with Creative Scotland in local authority areas across
Scotland.  East Ayrshire will continue to work with South Ayrshire
Council CLN on joint projects to add value, avoid duplication and
maximise resources for future events and training.

“The Creative Minds Learning Network event in Dumfries House had a real
buzz about it. Professor Brian Boyd set the scene by focussing on
‘opening our classrooms’.  While the vibrant discussions which followed
exemplified just what is possible when artists and teachers share ideas,
thoughts and dreams.”  John Wilson, Senior Education Manager

Helen Duncan, Cultural Coordinator, East Ayrshire

Artists, CLN News, Creative Practitioners, East Ayrshire, Partnerships, South Ayrshire

Dumfries House Hosts Inaugural Ayrshire Artist Gathering

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Stephen Kay, Education Officer for The Great Steward of Scotland’s Dumfries House said

“I was delighted to host the first Ayrshire Artist Networking Event at Dumfries House, organised by Helen Duncan and Jenny Hunter, Cultural Co-ordinators for East and South Ayrshire respectively, providing a venue for over fifty local artists and creative practitioners of various mediums and professionalisms to meet and highlight their individual areas of interest and expertise.”

After a short tour of the House by Charlotte Rostek, Curator of Dumfries House, a keynote speech was delivered by Mark Chester, Executive Director of The Princes Drawing School in London in support of art & culture locally and nationally, and whose foundation has recently opened artist studios on the Dumfries House estate.  This fantastic new facility will support art education throughout Ayrshire and beyond as part of the educational vision for Dumfries House through the support and involvement of “The Prince’s Drawing School”, “The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts”, “The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts” and as a major part of His Royal Highness, The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay’s Heritage Regeneration programme.

Helen Duncan, Cultural Co-ordinator

“I was overwhelmed with the response – not only are these Ayrshire artists and makers producing their own work, but working with children and young people delivering high quality creative learning opportunities for schools.  This is essentially a business network for artists to connect, collaborate, share and support.”

Tom Wilson, local Visual Artist and runs Wild and West

“I know I’m not alone in thinking that the splendour of the house and the warmth of the welcome aside, this was an exciting and inspirational event at Dumfries House. The enthusiasm of the speakers for its development as a centre for cultural education and learning made me feel very lucky to have it on my doorstep.  It is a very healthy, holistic, imaginative vision, enabling art, culture and heritage to make a strong contribution to the regeneration and development of this area as a whole.  At a personal level I came away knowing that Dumfries House is genuinely keen to offer opportunities to local artists.”

The Sundancer, Ayrshire Singer/Songwriter

“The opportunity to deliver songwriting workshops at Dumfries House is fantastic – particularly as I was lucky to purchase my first guitar through a grant from The Princes’ Trust when I first started playing nearly 20 years ago.  I look forward to working with local young people at Dumfries House, sharing my knowledge and experience to give them support which I have received.”

Ruth Carslaw, Film-Maker

“As the event unfolded you could genuinely feel a shared sense of purpose and momentum – propelled by the great speakers, fellow artists and the building itself!   I left feeling that Dumfries House will become a creative hub for all – artists and communities alike.”

For further details or to be kept informed of future events, please contact helen.duncan@east-ayrshire.gov.uk or jenny.hunter@south-ayrshire.gov.uk