1. Art for Science’s Sake
Science for Art’s Sake
Creativity, Cognition, and School Contexts
Prof. Emeritus James S. Catterall
UCLA Center for Culture, Brain, and Development
Centers for Research on Creativity (CRoC)
Cal Arts / University of the Arts, London UK

2. Creativity is in the air. We all want it. Our economies need it.
So what’s the next move?
We need a clearer discourse on creativity
Accumulated research is pessimistic
It spends too much time apologizing for poor measures
There is little explicit, sustained attention to creativity as we teach.
Not in the arts
And certainly not in the sciences and letters
And not enough knowledge of how to pursue this mission
in the schools, and cross the lifespan.

3. Foundational studies in the arts
Research on academic and social effects
of engagement in the arts
Research on Learning in the Arts; and how to
assess artistic skills and expertise
Research on creativity and how to nurture
creative skills and inclinations
Exploring the neuro-correlates of art creation
and experience

4. Science and Structure
Scientists see their fields in structures, not as collections of
facts.
Structure and Imagery lend themselves to creative
exploration in any field.
Einstein visualized, manipulated, and discovered – all in his
head.

5. Science and Play
Play, internal and community conversation,
and learning.
Associative “Art-Science” Thinking:

6. Understanding Creativity
How to promote Creative skills
and
Creative dispositions

7. NEW
Ideas
VALUABLE
or Productive
To the Ideas
individual?
On the
planet? To the
Community
In the
Marketplace?
To the To the
community individual?
In the
Marketplace?
Creativity – a common definition; a process leading to
New and Valuable Ideas and Products
But…. NEW to whom, and Valuable to Whom?
A new thought to a child can drive a learning process.

8. Centers for Research on Creativity – 2011
California Institute of the Arts – Prof J Catterall
University of the Arts, London UK – Prof Anne Bamford
Our new institutional creation, launched in January,
2011

9. CRoC: Inquiry related to:
• .
Assessing creative ideas and creative behavior
Nurturing creativity through instruction in the arts and
sciences
Nurturing creativity in the workforce
Key Assumption: sustained, explicit attention to
creativity

10. Implementation !!
Science and Art,
Teachers and
Schools
Ideas are great:
Scaled-up action is a
challenge.

11. A note on the book:
Doing Well and
Doing Good
By
Doing Art

12. “The Graduate,” 2011
Mr. Robinson: “Ben…Ben….
I have just one word for you:
Neuroplasticity!