Creativity needs to be taught, but how?

As much as maths and science skills, creativity to harness them and put them to work has been put at a premium if we’re to thrive, but how is creativity taught or encouraged? Putting students in a creative, aesthetic environment and around other creative people and what they’ve created is a good start.

Every year, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) hosts over 20,000 school students and teachers in its world-class National Centre for Creative Learning, an engine room for creative pedagogy and learning featuring state-of-the-art digital and multimedia studios, two practical creative studios, a lecture theatre, seminar room, research library and Bella Room – an annual commission and dedicated space for visitors with access requirements to engage with contemporary art through sensory experience.

Museum of Contemporary Art Director, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, says: “At the MCA, we firmly believe that creative capacity is vital for tackling the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. All MCA school programs are facilitated by a team of Artist Educators, practising artists who model the essential ingredients for creative learning – imagination, experimentation, collaboration, risk-taking, problem-solving and critical thinking.”

A new report co-commissioned by the MCA and LG Electronics Australia – the Museum’s new Major Partner for Innovation & Learning – found that more than 9 in 10 Australians agree that creativity is a very important skill for children and young people to develop.

90% of parents and 92% of Australians in full-time jobs, also agree that employees’ capacity to innovate will be crucial skills in the future economy.

“As a technology company, we are laser focused on innovation and creating products and experiences that relate to our mission of making life and living the best it can be; to make Life Good. Naturally, the same is true for our new partnership with the MCA and we will look to share our knowledge and experience – particularly through the MCA’s Learning Programs – to create a culture of innovation for our young people,” said LG Australia’s Managing Director, Mr Youngik Lee, LG Electronics is the MCA’s Major Partner for Innovation and Learning.

Georgia Close, MCA’s Manager for Student & Teacher Engagement, said: “Some of our most popular learning programs – such as Lights, Camera, Experiment for primary students – already incorporate a variety of technologies such as video, sound and animation to explore experimental art-making techniques. We are very excited to be working with technology and innovation powerhouse LG to further encourage young Australian people to look, think and create in new ways.”