An Evening With Sir Ken Robinson

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Asking if there's enough creativity in schools is like asking if there's enough education in schools.  Promoting creativity in all its forms should be one of the fundamental purposes of all schools. Ten years ago in All Our Futures we made a distinction between 'teaching creatively' and 'teaching for creativity'. The first is about teachers using their own creative abilities to inspire and engage pupils in what they're teaching. The second is about developing pupils' own imaginations, creative skills and powers of original thought. As recent reports on Creative Partnerships have shown, the evidence is that when schools embrace creative education in both senses, pupils are more engaged in education, teacher morale is greater and achievement rises across the board. For all these reasons, there can never be enough creativity in schools. Or enough education.

Sir Ken Robinson, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources. He has worked with governments in Europe, Asia and the USA, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and some of the world's leading cultural organizations. In 1998, he led a national commission on creativity, education and the economy for the UK Government. 'All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education' (The Robinson Report) was published to wide acclaim in 1999. He was the central figure in developing a strategy for creative and economic development as part of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, working with the ministers for training, education enterprise and culture. He was one of four international advisors to the Singapore Government for its strategy to become the creative hub of South East Asia.

For twelve years, he was Professor of Education at the University of Warwick in the UK and is now Professor Emeritus. He has received honorary degrees from the Open University and the Central School of Speech and Drama; Birmingham City University, Rhode Island School of Design, Ringling College of Art and Design and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. He has been honored with the Athena Award of the Rhode Island School of Design for services to the arts and education; the Peabody Medal for contributions to the arts and culture in the United States, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal of the Royal Society of Arts for outstanding contributions to cultural relations between the United Kingdom and the United States. In 2005 he was named as one of Time/Fortune/CNN's Principal Voices. In 2003, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the arts. He speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing business and education in the new global economies.

His new book, a New York Times Best Seller, 'The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything' (Penguin/Viking 2009) is being translated into sixteen languages.

Sir Ken was born in Liverpool, England as one of seven children. He is married to Therese (Lady) Robinson. They have two children, James and Kate, and live in Los Angeles, California.

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