Conceptualising creativity in the creative arts: seeking common ground

This paper reports on a research study that investigated how university academics in the creative arts conceptualise creativity, both as a general concept and also as a set of situated disciplinary beliefs and practices. The study, located primarily in the UK and Australia, reveals that the problems of defining and articulating creativity lead to a series of ongoing dilemmas for teaching and assessment in the creative arts. These dilemmas include the ability to explain and foster the creative endeavour with students; to provide transparency to students about expectations and standards; and to make demonstrably fair and reliable judgements about student work in a relatively subjective domain. It argues that if tertiary-level teachers are to devise creative curricula, facilitate creative environments and make judgements about the quality of creative work, they need to both share an understanding about the creative endeavour and the ability to communicate this to students effectively.