Creativity, Culture & Faith: Terms of Reference
Focus of the group
The academic and professional focus of this group will be on the interdisciplinary exploration of the place of cultural identity in the experience of education at all levels and stages. Culture will be interpreted in inclusive terms, ranging from the educative role of the traditional literary and expressive arts, through the institutions of recreation and leisure, to the educational potential of new leading-edge creative disciplines and industries. In keeping with current thinking in multicultural and intercultural learning, the range of interests encompassed by the group will include enquiry into the place of religion, faith and spirituality as important contexts for intercultural exchange and global educational development. The work of the group will also accord full recognition to the production as well as the appreciation of culture, examining the processes through which education internationally nurtures the creative capacities of individuals and communities for full participation in a diverse and rapidly changing society.
Associated Centre
The group will host the Centre for Faith, Culture and Education. It will also seek to establish productive working relationships with the Global Citizenship Unit. It is intended that the group will establish a critical mass of expertise to position it effectively for fruitful research tendering to the AHRC, ESRC and other major funders.Teaching activities
Members of the group will be involved, where appropriate, in the teaching and supervision of doctoral students and dissertations proposed by PGT. They will also undertake the teaching of undergraduate students in programmes and courses related to any of the areas highlighted above. It is anticipated that the group will be involved in the development of new specialist Masters pathways for home and international student markets in areas such as faith and education, spirituality, intercultural education, expressive arts and children’s literature.
Knowledge transfer
The interdisciplinary character of the group will position it strongly for knowledge transfer collaboration with a variety of stakeholders––including local authorities, government agencies and policy-makers, professional associations and recreation and leisure organizations. CPD and consultancy initiatives will be coordinated in order to build innovative partnerships with educational practitioners, creative artists, cultural activists and learners at all stages of the educational process. The themes pursued by the group will open it to potential cooperation with overseas partners and to material support from international sponsors.
Public engagement
By its nature, the group will be well placed for the forging of links with a range of external groups and agencies. These will extend from faith and religious communities, to the creative arts professions, and on to educational trusts and charities active in the promotion of arts and cultural education in the community. It is intended that the group, through its various activities, will itself become a locus for intercultural dialogue at local, national and international levels, contributing actively to local and global debates about the role of culture and education in the fashioning of identity and values and in the renewal of civil democratic society.