ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that in essence, creativity is a novel response and like any other habit it can be encouraged and discouraged. It focuses on artists working alongside teachers. The book highlights the collaborative nature of creativity and the need to support children's ability to work constructively with others. It shows that creativity is both enabled and constrained by the kind of curriculum on offer and by the pedagogic practice employed. The book describes the notion of personal creativity with the idea of historical creativity which is more aligned with ‘Big-C creativity’, evidenced for example by innovators like Einstein and Picasso. It consider the two cultural settings, highlighting areas of commonality as well as difference, and discusses the paradigmatic foundations of creativity in education and in schooling which they perceive as framing much of the debate.
