At most any performance today, you will be notified to turn off your cell phone. The smartphone has become such an integral tool in our daily lives that turning it off is tantamount to severing our connection to our community and challenging the way we view and negotiate the world. Many audience members, particularly young ones, will be looking at…

Oliver Herring, the creator of TASK, defines it as: "[a]n improvisational event with a simple structure and very few rules... TASK's open-ended, participatory structure creates almost unlimited opportunities for a group of people to interact with one another and their environment. TASK's flow and momentum depend on the tasks written and…

The author considers combinatory play as an intersection between creativity, play, and neuroaesthetics. She discusses combinatory play as vital to the creative process in art and science, particularly with regard to the incubation of new ideas. She reviews findings from current neurobiological research and outlines the way that the brain activates…

The dynamic nature of led outdoor activities means that, despite activity providers' best efforts, activity leaders can be exposed to unanticipated situations for which no procedures exist. Improvisation, the spontaneous, real-time conception and execution of a novel response, has been identified as a potential means of maintaining safety in…

In 1936 attorney Evan S. Pillsbury left a legacy to establish a foundation for the advancement of music education. To determine how the funds might be most usefully spent, the three appointed trustees sought the advice of conductor Leopold Stokowski. He told them that what he thought was most needed was an in-depth study of the spontaneous music…

Upon returning to graduate school in 2010, I became captivated by the visual journal both as a student and as an instructor. Visual journals are hybrids of the artist's sketchbook and the writer's reflective journal and provide opportunities for individuals to explore various modes of expression encompassed within both visual and verbal realms. My…

In 2004, Robert Nelson noted in creative, practice-led research degrees that the exegesis had been reconceptualised as a cultural contribution to scholarship. He suggested that the challenge this posed was the need for writing to interface effectively with the nature and calibre of the creative work. A decade on from his observation, this article…

Work practices in the creative industries have changed significantly since the turn of the twenty-first century. The design profession in particular has been influenced by rapidly emerging digital media practices and processes. While the design sector remains a significant source of employment, in recent years, there has been considerable growth…

This article describes responses of a group of adolescent student actors and actor alumni involved in anti-bullying skits arising from a critical case study of the Tolerance Troupe from a small rural and suburban borough in Pennsylvania. Seventeen active members and 19 actor alumni participated in semi-structured interviews focusing on what the…

This paper discusses the information literacy requirements of art and design students, and how traditional approaches to information literacy education are not always appropriate for these particular students. The paper argues that different, creative, and innovative approaches to information literacy training need to be developed with the…

Aesthetic experiences have proved as a valuable tool to enhance quality childhood life and learning; yet, how young children perceive such experiences is little known. This study investigated the aesthetic experiences and responses of Hong Kong young children through drama improvisation. Deleuzo-Guattarian concept of rhizome was used to form a…

Building a sustainable career in the creative industries is a challenging proposition. Creative workers face high levels of employment insecurity and limited career development opportunity. Those working in the sector must build discipline-oriented career self-management skills, while also finding ways to cope with the psychologically demanding…

Within the UK Higher Education setting there is an emphasis on student satisfaction and experience surveys in combination with an increased interest in connecting teaching with research. As a result there is an unprecedented focus on engaging students on all levels within their university experience, from concerns related to governance, policy and…

National research shows that students attending arts-rich schools have higher levels of motivation and better academic and social success. This two-page research brief summarizes key points from the full report (published separately), the first in a series of three on the Creative Learning Initiative, is used to track the progress of our…

People who do not know theatre may think the only creative artist in the field is the playwright--with actors, directors, and designers mere "interpreters" of the dramatist's vision. Historically, however, creative mastery and power have passed through different hands. Sometimes, the playwright did the staging. In other periods, leading…