The Creativity Collaboratives pilot (2021-24) developed a national cohort of schools to test a range of innovative teaching practices to nurture creativity in pupils and embed teaching for creativity across the curriculum. The pilot phase was one of the key recommendations of the 2019 Durham Commission on Creativity and Education. 

The Durham Commission evidenced the significant impact that creativity and teaching for creativity can have on personal, economic and social advantage. But it also found that teaching for creativity is not widespread and that there is a huge disparity between schools, often reflecting socioeconomic factors. 

With the support of Arts Council England and Freelands Foundation, educators in dedicated school networks across every region of England collaborated to devise school-wide strategies, experiment with teaching methods, and share their learning to facilitate system-wide change. Each Collaborative network across England focused on integrating creativity into teaching and supporting young people to gain new skills and lead happy, healthy and fulfilled lives. 

Eight lead schools initiated diverse curriculum approaches and measured impact, supported by Durham University’s over-arching evaluation. 

The pilot phase of the Creativity Collaborative programme evidenced the positive impact teaching for creativity has on educators and students. We have seen how creativity supports increased engagement, confidence and ownership in learning as well as positive changes in teaching practices. However, further exploration is needed to deepen our understanding of the impact teaching for creativity can have on children and young people. 

Read the Creativity Collaboratives Pilot Phase report prepared by Abigail D’Amore and Jennifer Raven (Abigail D’Amore Associates)

Read The importance of creativity in schools: pupil opinion report prepared by Abigail D’Amore and Jennifer Raven (Abigail D’Amore Associates)

The Creativity Collaboratives legacy phase was launched in October 2024. Arts Council England has invested £1.5 million into a legacy phase for the programme across two additional academic years (from September 2024 to July 2026). The legacy phase is not an extension of the pilot – it is a new phase where six Creativity Collaboratives are exploring teaching for creativity with a clear focus on: 

• building more robust evidence of the impact on pupils  

• sharpening the focus on equity, diversity and inclusion  

• consolidating learning to inform principles, models and resources that could be applied more broadly by the education sector and other schools to support a sustainable approach to creative education   

Abigail D’Amore Associates is leading the evaluation of the legacy phase. They are taking a co-designed approach to evaluation, recognising the breadth of models for teaching for creativity and the diversity of school contexts. 

The range of activities, in and beyond the classroom, pedagogical frameworks and toolkits illustrate the breadth and possibilities of teaching for creativity from early years to further education. Throughout the legacy phase, the Creativity Collaboratives are continuing to share their knowledge through toolkits and resources, all of which are available via their individual pages.