CREATIVE RESILIENCE: ENHANCING ACTIVE TOOLS, INNOVATION AND VISION IN THE YOUNG

Previous research has identified the importance of formal, informal and non-formal skills and the ability to promote transversal skills when entering the Creative and Cultural sectors.

While the European Commission has identified the Creative and Cultural sectors as areas for investment, the development of skills often utilised by these sectors, such as communication, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration, are currently under developed as educational institutions across Europe are reducing, and in some cases eradicating, the teaching of humanities subjects which offer such transferable skills. There has been a significant focus placed upon the development of the 4C’s within the agenda of the European Commission, and as countries, such as the UK with their SHAPE agenda, begin to recognise the need for humanities as a means of developing such skills despite the lack of training in the area, this project provides innovative practice to support young people in developing these useful lifelong learning skills at a time when Creative and Cultural sectors are particularly difficult to enter.

The sectors have been hit particularly hard by the current pandemic, damaging its resilience. This project seeks to utilise the skills of young people to rebuild and nurture the resilience of the creative and cultural sectors in the future. By responding to the need to bridge the gap between further education and employment in the Creative and Cultural sectors and the harsh reality of employment in the sectors where low wages, insecure contracts, and skill deficit that have been compounded by the devastating effects of Covid-19, the project seeks to aid the reopening and rebuilding of these sectors by assessing their future skills need and through a series of interactive education sessions up skill-young people to be the creative and cultural sector innovators and entrepreneurs of the future. In doing so, this project additionally addresses the problematic issues of diversity in the sectors by making the educational resources accessible through digital innovation which sees the replication of in person teaching online. Supported by the creation of a digital portfolio, CREATIVITY aims to assist young people and industry professionals in opening up dialogue about education and employment as a means of aiding a full recovery of the sectors.