Creative Skills Plus Application (2019/20) |
Introduction to Creative Skills Plus
Practical, artist facilitated training with the option to turn this amazing experience into a Level 7, SQA recognised qualification.
For 2019/20, the fee to take part in this qualification has been heavily subsidised by funding from the Scottish Government, reducing the fee from £500 to only £100.
Please note: If you only wish to take part in the practical element of Creative Skills Plus a £50 registration fee still applies. Your place will not be guaranteed until we receive this registration fee.
All fees are non-refundable, should you wish to not go ahead with the course.
Ethos
Creative Skills is Starcatchers’ unique artist-facilitated training programme. We give early years practitioners, educators and others who work with babies and young children the confidence and skills to put expressive arts at the heart of practice.
For young children to develop a sense of agency and fulfil their rights, they need responsive adults who tune in to their interests with a playful and creative approach. You are their inspiration and we want to develop your skills and confidence to inspire new thoughts and ideas that will help improve outcomes for the children you work with.
Creative Skills is about more than just the sharing of ideas – it’s about investing in Early Years practitioners as people and recognising that creative responsive adults are the most valuable “open-ended resource” our children need.
Starcatchers Creative Skills approach shares open ended ideas and techniques designed to give babies and young children a voice – engaging them in decision making, offering opportunities for self-expression, and respecting them as active agents in their own lives. We take an asset-based approach: our artists are experts in the expressive arts for young children, our participants are experts in their own setting and the children they work with, and babies and young children are experts in what interests and motivates them.
“Over the years participants have made the links between the Creative Skills Programme and their own practice, telling me excitedly “This is so Froebelian”, “This is so Reggio”, “This is so Tina Bruce”, “the ideas can be used so well in free-flow play”. Every time I do more research, the same answer comes back to me: whatever your Early Years “tribe” the practical ideas we share through the programme support best practice.” - Heather Armstrong, Creative Skills Manager, Starcatchers
Please note: If you only wish to take part in the practical element of Creative Skills Plus a £50 registration fee still applies. Your place will not be guaranteed until we receive this registration fee.
All fees are non-refundable, should you wish to not go ahead with the course.
Ethos
Creative Skills is Starcatchers’ unique artist-facilitated training programme. We give early years practitioners, educators and others who work with babies and young children the confidence and skills to put expressive arts at the heart of practice.
For young children to develop a sense of agency and fulfil their rights, they need responsive adults who tune in to their interests with a playful and creative approach. You are their inspiration and we want to develop your skills and confidence to inspire new thoughts and ideas that will help improve outcomes for the children you work with.
Creative Skills is about more than just the sharing of ideas – it’s about investing in Early Years practitioners as people and recognising that creative responsive adults are the most valuable “open-ended resource” our children need.
Starcatchers Creative Skills approach shares open ended ideas and techniques designed to give babies and young children a voice – engaging them in decision making, offering opportunities for self-expression, and respecting them as active agents in their own lives. We take an asset-based approach: our artists are experts in the expressive arts for young children, our participants are experts in their own setting and the children they work with, and babies and young children are experts in what interests and motivates them.
“Over the years participants have made the links between the Creative Skills Programme and their own practice, telling me excitedly “This is so Froebelian”, “This is so Reggio”, “This is so Tina Bruce”, “the ideas can be used so well in free-flow play”. Every time I do more research, the same answer comes back to me: whatever your Early Years “tribe” the practical ideas we share through the programme support best practice.” - Heather Armstrong, Creative Skills Manager, Starcatchers
Participant Feedback
"The course was brilliant for linking the theory with practical skills, it’s really deepened my understanding of the arts and creativity and how to use it in my practice."
"The difference in our setting is unbelievable, the training's made such a difference in our approach - we've got kids taking part in activities we used to think they'd never be capable of."
"I was really delighted to receive my qualification. I have recommended Starcatchers in work as it was great. I loved it."