Creativity and Art Education: Gaps Between Theories and Practices

Theories of creativity from different disciplines map onto teaching strategies within the fine art field. In particular, the outcomes of historical studies by psychologists and experimental studies within cognitive science have significant resonance with some long-standing methods of teaching artists. Through a series of interviews with experienced teachers of studio art in the UK university context, and analysis of written material to support teaching, this paper recognizes the need for a more systematic exploration of how creative thinking may have been embedded in the teaching of artists. We identify the presence of practical strategies, field knowledge, artistic identity, and the importance of ‘space’ within the accounts of teaching and the documents considered. We note that notions of identity and space are not clearly present within existing models of creativity, but aspects of them reflect tolerance for ambiguity. We conclude by reflecting that this space within conceptions of fine art education is a gap that needs attention and that the field that generates the creative practitioners of the future should understand creativity

Higher Education Fine Art in the UK and Spain since 1992: a study in perceptions of change by staff in two universities

This article explores the perceptions of a small sample of academic staff from a university in Spain and another in the United Kingdom towards changes in fine art higher education (HE) in both countries over the last 25 years. The authors sought to understand if, and how, the changing HE context had influenced the provision of fine art in each university, and considered it useful to address whether there was any comparability across the two institutions in terms of the responses to the broad changes in resourcing and quality assurance. They used a series of semi-structured interviews with eight respondents, four in each country, aimed at eliciting staff views. These perceptions were considered alongside available data on student numbers, enrolments, graduation and gender, in order to explore the reactions of teaching staff to shifts in context over the period. The study concludes that the stance of criticality adopted by many fine art academics, who value their academic freedom and autonomy and prioritize the practice of their discipline, is being challenged by many of the recent changes in HE. As a result, staff who are being asked to undertake a wider range of activities are having to adapt their view of the nature of fine art HE

Comparative study of higher education fine art in UK and Spain: before and after Bologna

This is a report on and consideration of, the evolution of fine art studies over the last 20 years, within the discipline itself and also in connection with UK and Spanish higher education provision. Statistical data from the UK and Spain concerning fine art higher education in the academic years 2003-4 and 2013-14 will be compared. This data will be considered in relation to the content of a series of interviews with experienced lecturers in fine art undertaken at Universidad Complutense, Madrid, and Coventry School of Art & Design, UK and contextualised through a discussion of the impact of and governmental initiatives in both countries. The paper will identify key shifts and trends in the provision of fine art at degree level during the last 20 years, and the challenges that face those teaching fine art within the university sector in 2 different and distinctive European countries