Pat Cochrane, Founding Chief Executive CapeUK; “I believe that creativity is an absolutely critical skill for young people, to help them face the future. We have worked in three theme areas from the outset – creativity, partnership and enquiry.
“When you bring people from outside the school and inside the school together, it enables us to shape exciting, vibrant, dynamic learning opportunities for children – with young people themselves leading the learning rather than the traditional model of education with the teacher at the front of the class.
“What we are aiming to do is bring together policy, practice and research to reflect on the key nuggets of learning that make this work effective. I believe that too much of this work is merely descriptive or research based and inaccessible; we want to ensure that the work of CapeUK is of real value for people working with children and young people and also the young people themselves.”
Pat is the founding Chief Executive Officer of CapeUK – involved in both practice and policy at regional, national and international level.
Pat specialises in professional development in relation to pedagogy, reflective practice and leadership for creativity. Additionally Pat Cochrane is a fellow of the RSA, a member of the Advisory Board of Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education and was recently Creativity Advisor to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).
Pat is a qualified teacher and also holds a Diploma in Counselling in Education Settings, as well as a degree in English Language and Literature and a Masters in American Studies. Previously Pat has worked as a Lecturer, Community Worker and Principal in Community and Tertiary Education in London, Leeds and Sheffield.
Pat has led a number of research projects in the field of learning and culture including a commission for ‘Arts Council and Museums Libraries and Archives Council in Yorkshire’, ‘The capacity of the cultural and creative sector to meet the cultural entitlement agenda in schools’ (2005) and ‘An Analysis of the Arts and Community Radio for the Community Media Association’ (2007)
Pat’s publications include ‘Are we really serious about creativity?’ (2005) and ‘Building Creative Schools’ – a dynamic approach to school development (2007) ‘Mixed Messages or permissions and opportunities’ (2008).
Pat frequently presents and leads workshops and seminars for both policy makers and practitioners. Recent presentations have included Beyond Drumming and Batik at the 2007 Arts Education Symposium in Paris, Community Cohesion and Early Years Gent, 2008 Mixed messages or permissions and opportunities? Leicestershire Creative Partnerships 2008.
