Place Markers – join the dots and talk about Harlow, Nov 26 – Dec 3 2016

DELVE Associates presents Place Markers

DELVE invites people living and working in Harlow to join the dots; using a map, a magnifying glass, the odd dice and a lot of ping pong balls, help create an installation that grows the more we talk.

Focussed around two themes, but going off in all directions, you are invited to contribute to a conversation about people, place and prosperity.

You just need to bring your voice and remember where you live.

Dates: Sat. 26 Nov – Sat. 3 Dec 2016

Open: 10.30am to 4pm

At Gatehouse Arts & Gallery, East Gate, Harlow, CM20 1HP

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The value of adding creativity into the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEAM) mix

Following on from our latest post – we’ve been thinking about the value of the STEAM subjects in schools and in informal educational settings. There’s been an emphasis in recent years on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths), but by adding arts subjects (STEAM) into this mix – creativity is harnessed.

We particularly like Ken Robinson’s thinking around creativity:
‘Our starting point is to recognise four characteristics of creative processes. First, they always involve thinking or behaving imaginatively. Second, overall this imaginative activity is purposeful: that is, it is directed to achieving an objective. Third, these processes must generate something original. Fourth, the outcome must be of value in relation to the objective. We therefore define creativity as: Imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value.’
From: All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (1999), for the UK National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education

We believe that linking creative/arts subjects to other subject teaching and learning – young people’s innovation and invention skills will be more strongly developed.

Image credit: Sarah Spanton (artists and teachers working together at Whitecote Primary School, Leeds, 2009)

What makes a town resilient and prosperous? Research and conversations in Harlow.

Over the Summer and Autumn, we’ve been undertaking further conversations about Harlow as part of our wider research project exploring cross-cutting initiatives for the town.

We’ve been asking questions about prosperity and what makes a town truly prosperous. We define a prosperous town as one which is thriving, characterised by its inhabitants’ high levels of well-being and access to fulfilling jobs and varied employment opportunity in a high quality environment with many, varied social / communal activities – shifting away from a definition focussed solely on financial success.

We’ve also been exploring what a resilient town might be. We think a resilient town is one able to respond to opportunity and is ready to withstand unknown challenges that may be around the corner, whether they be environmental, economic or social. It has the means to bounce back from such adversity, maintaining its sense of wellbeing by having strong relationships and interconnections.

We’ve been investigating strategies and approaches that might help make Harlow a more prosperous and resilient place.

References:
Mind (2013), ‘How to Improve and Maintain Your Mental Wellbeing’, Mind, London.

Hopkins, R. (2008), ‘Transition Handbook; From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience’ Green Books, Cambridge

Mind (2013), ‘Building Resilient Communities: Making Every Contact Count for Public Mental Health’ https://www.mind.org.uk/media/343925/Briefing_-_Building_resilient_communities.pdf – accessed 22.1.13

McInroy, N. and Longlands, S. (2010), ‘Productive Local Economies: Creating Resilient Places’, Centre for Local Economic Strategies, Manchester.