Tag Archives: Partnerships

Shape the Future competition – improving the lives of women and girls worldwide

School should be aware of the upcoming second Shape the Future competition which will be launched on the 28 April 2014 across the UK. The competition will be open to all UK schools and will ask young people (aged 11-16) to outline and present on their priorities for improving the lives of women and girls worldwide. Following a judging panel, the winning pupils will be invited to attend and present their ideas at a global summit hosted by the Prime Minister in July.

The themes of this short group project fit into subjects across the curriculum, including Modern Studies, RME, Geography, History, English and PSE as well as lending itself to a context for inter-disciplinary learning.  A dedicated ‘Shape the Future’ website will provide teachers with a range of resources to guide pupils through the competition.

Education Scotland has provided a Learning Journey considering aspects of gender equality which will be a helpful resource to schools.  Last year Promoting  Diversity and Equality: Developing Responsible Citizens in 20th century brought to the fore exemplars of good practice and resources to assist in taking forward approaches to diversity and equality.

On 7 May Game On Scotland and Education Scotland  have organised a conference for Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games: Promoting Equality and Diversity it will reflect on the three core values of the Commonwealth Games Federation, humanity, equality and destiny.  The conference will provide delegates with a speakers and workshops focused on values education in a global context as well as the inclusion of all.

Imaginate Commissions for 2015 – Deadline 25 April

Imaginate is seeking proposals for two new productions to be presented in schools in 2015. This opportunity is open to individual artists/producers; arts organisations (including venues) and partnerships. The closing date for submissions is Friday 25 April 2014.

The commissioned pieces should be created specifically for school children in one of the following age ranges;

P1 to P4

P5 to P7

The initial tour will cover two weeks in schools prior to the Imaginate Festival 2015, followed by a week of performances at Festival.  The dates for the Imaginate Festival next year are 11 to 18 May 2015.

Download full information here: http://www.imaginate.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/EXPO-2015-Commissions-information.pdf

School Improvement Partnership Programme

The School Improvement Partnership Programme (SIPP) is a solution-focused approach to Scotland’s attainment issues with a focus on innovating to tackle educational inequality. It draws on the wealth of international educational research and practice demonstrating that the most effective school improvements are locally owned and led by teachers and school leaders working in partnership and collaboration with like-minded professionals.

There are currently nine different kinds of partnerships developing within and across education authorities. The programme aims to encourage staff to learn from each other, experiment with their practice and monitor and evaluate change. A key feature of the SIPP is the evaluation support being provided by researchers from The Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change. For more information click on the following link:  The School Improvement Partnership Programme

or contact enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk

Update on the Creative Scotland website

On Friday 4 April, Creative Scotland will begin the switch-over from its existing website to its new site. Users of the site may experience some disruption over that weekend as part of this switchover but it is intended that the new site will be operational from Monday 7 April.

The new site is designed to be easier to use with clearer layout, structure and access to information. Over the coming weeks, the site will evolve to feature Creative Scotland’s new Plan, new funding programmes and showcase key projects.

The site will also feature case studies of the range and breadth of work that Creative Scotland supports and organisations and individuals from across the arts, screen and creative industries will be invited to submit content in order to showcase their work to a national and international audience. This has already been piloted and the new site will feature a range of user-generated content when it goes live, but Creative Scotland is keen to expand this content as much as possible.

As you might expect with a new site, many elements are still in development and the site will continue to improve and expand over the coming months.

In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the site, please contact enquiries@creativescotland.com

Gaming project opens up new worlds of creativity – TES article

“Part of it is embracing uncertainty, being open to whatever comes up,” said Dangerous Ideas curator Karen Lawson. “It’s about a belief that everybody is creative, and helping them to realise that.”

http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6400535

TES article exploring the Festival of Dangerous Ideas and how two primary, secondary and colleges from Scotland and Norway collaborated on an innovative online gaming project that developed new ways of learning.

Starcatchers Creative Skills Training

Starcatchers is currently offering a free training programme for Early Years workers in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fife, South Lanarkshire and Inverclyde as part of a pilot project to develop creative skills for early years workers in Scotland which is being supported by the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland.

The programme will allow early years workers from a range of sectors to build their understanding of the importances of creativity in early years and through a series of artist-led practical sessions, will offer skills and techniques that practitioners can use when they are working with children and families directly.

Starcatchers is currently recruiting participants for the project, all the information is on their website:  http://www.starcatchers.org.uk/creative-skills/creative-skills-early-years-practitioners

Download further information here: Creative Skills National Info

Edinburgh Creative Conversation Christmas Celebration

Edinburgh’s Creative Conversation Christmas Celebration is on Wednesday 11th December 2013.This one has a slightly different focus and our Creative Catalysts are people who have been inspired by Creative Conversations to take action. Different ways of working, challenges to the norm, surprises, being outside the comfort zone and inspiring stories of deep pupil engagement can all be expected.

The Creative Conversation is titled ‘What Difference Does it Make?’ and that is exactly what you are invited to discuss with colleagues.

I would also like to thank all of you for coming to Creative Conversations and hope you can join Gillian Tee, David Cameron, Lucy Vaughan, Heather Lucchesi Eileen Littlewood and Lindsay Fullarton in what I am sure will be a very enjoyable conversation about Creativity across Learning.

Coffee is from 4pm and the Creative Conversation will begin at 4.30. Wine and seasonal nibbles will follow at around 6pm till 7ish.

Places will fill up very quickly – please email Linda Lees <Linda.Lees@edinburgh.gov.uk> for an invitation.

New report on Assessing Creativity across many subjects available on Creativity Portal

Led by the University of Dundee and funded by Creative Scotland, this project gathered the views of three groups of professionals working within the expressive arts with the aim of identifying effective and innovative models of assessment of creativity. These models were documented and used to develop case studies in the format of a teaching resource for application across the whole curriculum. The resource was piloted and evaluated by the research and development team in collaboration with teachers and initial teacher education (ITE) providers.

Click here to find the downloadable file:

http://creativityportal.org.uk/?q=assessing+creativity

The project develops the links between arts organisations, schools and ITE providers through data collection; shared analysis and evaluation; and through the development, application and dissemination of findings. In this way stronger partnerships have been established as recommended in Teaching  Scotland’s  Future  (Donaldson  2010)

Kids in Museums – Takeover Day Scotland 2013

Takeover Day Scotland 2013

On 28 November Scotland’s museums are being taken over. Will you be inviting children and young people to be in charge of your museum?

Takeover Day Scotland is a celebration of children and young people’s contribution to museums, galleries and historic homes. It’s a day on which they are given meaningful roles, working alongside staff and volunteers to participate in the life of the museum.

Edinburgh Creative Conversation with Don Ledingham

Creative Conversations are Edinburgh’s now well established strategic response to developing the Creative Learning Network for the City. They feature as a case study in the recently published 3-18 Curriculum Impact project Creativity Across Learning. This successful approach has been picked up by colleauges in other local authorities and Education Scotland. You help make them the success they are and your invitation to the next Creative Conversation on Creative Leadership is attached.

Creative Conversation Invitation – Don Ledingham – download the pdf invite

Date for your diary:

The first of the 2013/14 Creative Conversations will be on Monday 25th November at 4pm for 4.30 till 5.45pm with wine and canapes afterwards (venue to follow with confirmation of attendance). I am delighted that our Creative Catalyst this session is Don Ledingham.

Don Ledingham’s Creative Conversation is titled ‘Try a Little Tenderness….’ which may seem like the wrong song title for a session on Creative Leadership, but with Don as the Creative Catalyst, you can expect a few surprises! Don talks about forgiveness in leadership and about creating space for creativity and innovation. He thinks aloud and in public, challenging other leaders to open up and let go. He now works with Drummond International and will go global soon, so catch him while you can. No mere theorist, Don has been a Head Teacher and Director. This will be a memorable start to this session’s Creative Conversations. Coffee is from 4pm and the Creative Conversation will begin at 4.30.

As with all previous Creative Conversations, David Cameron will facilitate the discussion. You are invited to continue the conversation with Don, David and colleagues over wine and canapes at around 5.45/6pm.

Places are filling up very quickly – please email the address in the pdf  if you would like to attend and receive full venue details and confirmation of your place.