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INNOVATE: Legacy & Learning Symposium

Young Vic Taking Part delivered the flagship project, INNOVATE, for two academic years from 2021 – 2023. During this time, teachers and artists collaborated to use the arts to teach across the curriculum in two local schools, South Bank University Academy and Dunraven School. We commissioned Royal Holloway, University of London, to research the work, and you can read their full report here.  

We curated the INNOVATE: Legacy & Learning Symposium to unpack the research through a week-long series of events, including workshops, talks, networking opportunities and practice sharing for teachers, artists, academics, applied theatre practitioners and creative engagement departments.  

We sought to explore what artists and arts organisations bring to the curriculum and all aspects of teaching and learning by drawing from our own place-based experience and international best practice. With support from the British Council through the Connections Through Culture programme, we partnered with the CREATE Centre, Sydney.

The CREATE Centre, Sydney  

CREATE Centre (Creativity in Research, Engaging the Arts and Transforming Education, Health and Wellbeing) is a centre within the University of Sydney. They engage in three main areas:  

  • Creativity research; the role of the arts in creative education 

  • health and wellbeing

  • how the arts transform all levels of education from early childhood through to higher education.  

'CREATE Centre acknowledges the central, intrinsic role creative pedagogy and the arts can and should play in the lives, learning and formal education of all people'.   

You can read more of the Centre’s work across a variety of areas here.

In January 2024, CREATE Centre co-Director Professor Michael Anderson hosted our visit to Sydney, Australia, enabling us to visit and connect with Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Australian Theatre for Young People, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Belvoir Theatre, State Library New South Wales, The Arts Unit, Department for Education, New South Wales and Gregory Hills Primary School.   

Over the eight days, we exchanged practice on arts-rich learning and using creativity in schools. We co-designed elements of the Symposium with Professor Michael Anderson, with every workshop, talk and event corresponding to a key element of the INNOVATE project and research.  

Symposium Feedback 

About the Keynote

Resources  

You can download the INNOVATE report, here, and watch the Opening Address and Panel Talk, and Keynote Address and Panel talk, here.  

Opening Address  

Lucy Davies, Sue Emmas and Shereen Jasmin Phillips officially opened the INNOVATE: Legacy & Learning Symposium in the Maria Studio.   

Opening Address

Keynote Address 

Co-Director of CREATE Centre, Sydney Professor Michael Anderson and INNOVATE Research Lead from Royal Holloway, University of London Professor Helen Nicholson delivered a joint keynote address which delved into creativity in schools, theatres as civic places for learning, and the role of the arts in young people's lives. 

Practice Exchange

We will continue to exchange and share global best practice, if you are interested in sharing your project, programme or research with us, please email learning@youngvic.org.

INNOVATE: Legacy & Learning Symposium  

Opening Address and Panel Talk with Lucy Davies, Sue Emmas, Shereen Jasmin Phillips, Lorna McGinty, Melanie Anouf and Dr Sylvan Baker 

Imagination in the Classroom with Emma Dennis-Edwards 

Building Community with Stef O'Driscoll 

An Artist in the Classroom – Tuesday with Bruno Correia, Mikey Bharj and Vincent Shiels 

The Power of Sound with Nicola T. Chang 

Performing in Class with Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́ 

Keynote Address and Panel Talk with Professor Michael Anderson, Professor Helen Nicholson, Dr Vicky Storey, Dr Yvonne Robinson, and Dr Javeria Khadija Shah 

Multidisciplinary Practice and Collaboration with Philip J Morris 

An Artist in the Classroom – Thursday with Dr Joseph Prestwich and Nadège René 

Playing in Class with Kelechi Okafor 

INNOVATE Symposium Party 

An Artist in the Classroom – Teaching Through Cooking with Sheryl Malcolm 

Speakeasy with TD. Moyo 

Design Consultant QianEr Jin  

BSL Artist Sumayya Si-Tayeb 

INNOVATE: Legacy & Learning Symposium
with elements co-designed with the CREATE Centre, Sydney
This project is supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture Programme
#ConnectionsThroughCulture