From employability to ‘complexability’: Creatour – a construct for preparing students for creative work and life

Date
2018-01-31
Authors
Higdon, Rachel Delta
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Peer reviewed
Yes
Abstract
Abstract Higher Education (HE) students and employers within the creative industries dismiss prevailing ‘employability’ skills as inadequate. The author discovers the ‘bottom up’ reality that entry into the creative world and onward survival requires access to contact networks, confidence and adaptability to cope with uncertainty, changing contexts for business, partnerships and innovative opportunities. ‘Complexability’, it is suggested, better describes such interactive competences. In close work with undergraduates, graduates and practitioners in two contrasting disciplines: Architecture and Dance, a set of interlocking briefs for such cyclical working emerges. A dance student’s passion for Parkour inspires the Creatour construct. To summarise Creatour’s 8 step construct visually, Escher’s faux staircase and tessalated interlocking patterns are ‘borrowed’. Unexpectedly Creatour has been cited as applicable to law, business and medicine.
Description
The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.
Keywords
Industry, higher education, philosophy, employability, creative learning, creative work
Citation
Higdon R (2017) From employability to ‘complexability’: Creatour – a construct for preparing students for creative work and life. Industry and Higher Education, 32(1), pp.33–46
Research Institute
Institute for Research in Criminology, Community, Education and Social Justice