The Mysteries of Creative Partnerships

Since 2002, Creative Partnerships, based at the Arts Council of England, has been investing time, energy, and resources to bring artists and schools together. Their goal is to “animate the national curriculum and to enrich school life by making the best use of the United Kingdom's creative wealth.” This article concentrates on the partnership between two primary teachers and two dramatic artists as they planned and produced a workshop based on an inventive children's picture book. The success of this professional development exchange hinged on (a) the strong focus on students' learning; (b) the adults' long-term commitment to the work; (c) the very different kinds of expertise the adults came to share; and (d) the adults' excitement and engagement with continual professional learning, which led to substantive language and learning opportunities for the children involved.