ready for the unknown

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how is making
thinking?

growing concerns

Being ready for the unknown

There is continual discussion on what the future holds for us and how we might prepare for this. The idea of one job or career for life is long gone, and it is clear that the working lives of individuals in our society are likely to change profoundly throughout their lives.
The challenges of over-population, climate change and the increasing migration of people will require novel solutions, and many new unforeseen problems will develop from the global nature of commercial activity.
A progressive deskilling of practical type of jobs has taken place in western societies especially since companies have outsourced their work to cheaper developing countries. The traditional ‘manual labour’ type jobs are no longer there, leaving parts of society ill prepared for alternative kinds of employment - especially as these generally do not require the physical hard work which have been the bedrock of a large part of cultural identity. Many repetitive managerial tasks are also being automated by new technology.
What skills and knowledge will today's children need when they grow up? What jobs are disappearing? What skills will future employers want?

One of the consistently growing areas of employment is in the cultural and creative industries, which includes information technology and design, as well as all forms of media and the arts generally. Other areas of growth are largely in the service industries.

Developing an explorative mind capable of imagining and creating new ideas, and developing abilities to communicate fluently are likely to be key criteria to meeting these new challenges.

A fundamental part of education and learning is preparation for a working life - are the current systems and strategies appropriate?

In their recent report 'Future of Cultural Value' by the Warwick Commission (publ. 2015) investigating the social, economic and artistic value that culture brings to Britain, they highlight recent worrying changes affecting education - the increasing loss of specialist arts teaching in schools (art, drama, design & technology, textiles, ceramics) as a direct result of budgetary squeezes and curriculum priorities, the effects of which have been made much worse by the recession since 2008.

"There are pressures on specialist courses to raise staff-to-student ratios and reduce the hours of practice and study, [resulting in] a 46% drop in craft related courses"

The report is also critical of the lack of cross curricular co-ordination and the sharp division of learning into specific subject areas:
"Policymakers are obsessed with a [disjointed] subject-based curriculum… that ignores and obscures discussion around the future need for all children to enjoy an education that encourages creativity, making, and enterprise across the curriculum."
resource link > Warwick Commission 'Future of Cultural Value'

what do we mean - thinking by making?

• there is special knowledge and understanding to be gained by making things

• childhood plays a vital part in this innovative process

a historical perspective

• evidence from the past

• art and decoration

• observation, trial and error

• origins of maths
• patterns and geometry

facing the future

• living in a digital age

• how can this be creative?

• new ways of thinking