International Creative Education Network (ICEnet)

Following the Artists in Creative Education conference in Brussels in October 2011, CCE took the lead on establishing an international network for practitioners working in creative education. The International Creative Education Network (ICEnet) aims to encourage the spread of best practice and knowledge sharing among artists, creative practitioners and organisations interested in unlocking the creativity of children and young people.

The network meets on an ongoing basis across Europe to explore good practice, discuss and explore solutions to common educational issues and challenges.  In addition, a website – http://icenet.ning.com/ – provides resources, discussion boards and highlights funding and partnership opportunities.

ICEnet partners worked together on a Leonardo-funded partnership project ‘Training Requirements and Key Skills for Artists and other creative practitioners to work in participatory settings’ TRaKSforA). The project partners developed a Self-Assessment Competency Framework (SACF) for use by artists and other creative professionals working in participatory settings including schools, hospitals, community centres, youth centres and cultural houses.  Through a series of practice visits, indepth interviews with experienced creative practitioners and roundtable discussions, a set of professional skills artists need to successfully develop the creative and transversal skills of the communities they work with were defined.  The SACF also provides a common reference point for the training and professional development of artists across the EU.

TRaKSforA involved partners from seven countries: UK, Czech Republic, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Croatia, with other partners supporting the project work. The project concluded in July 2015 with the publication of the SACF which is available, along with more information about the project, by visiting the following page:

Self-Assessment Competency Framework for Creative Practitioners