With 20 years’ experience managing and delivering children’s programs in paediatric hospitals and in the arts sector, Laura brings a wealth of expertise in program management, leadership and children’s health and wellbeing, and is passionate about the role creativity plays in living a happy flourishing life.  As a WA Academy of Performing Arts graduate, Laura has worked as a singer, actor, director and improviser and is an author of adult and children’s literature. She is trained in Infant Mental Health, Early Childhood Self-Regulation (Shanker Method), innovation methodologies and corporate leadership.

Vanessa mentors participating Creative Practitioners and manages the alignment of Creative Schools’ projects to the WA curriculum. Vanessa holds a Masters in Fine Art and has had an extensive career in book publishing, working at Penguin Books (London), Raincoast Books (Canada) and Fremantle Press (Perth). Vanessa was a creative practitioner on the Creative Schools pilot program, and loved it so much she joined the team the following year.

With a professional background in media, visual art, teaching and participatory development, Lyndsay has worked across the community services, arts development and education sectors for over 20 years in Argentina, England, India and Australia. Lyndsay has worked with people aged 3-70 from English as a Second Language, refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, and with first nations artists, school children, children in foster care, disadvantaged youth in urban and remote communities, and people with diverse disabilities and mental health conditions.

Emily is an experienced arts worker, theatre reviewer and administrator who holds an Honors degree in English Language and Literature. Through her industry connections and passion for the arts, Emily is driven to increase engagement with young people, schools and libraries to promote the value and joy of creativity and storytelling.

Paul leads Creativity, Culture & Education (CCE), an organisation dedicated to unlocking the true potential of young people. CCE’s programs are successful in boosting academic success, raising aspirations and improving attendance at school while engaging disengaged parents in their children’s education. Paul has co-designed and mentored creative learning programs in 23 countries across the world.

Bill Lucas is Professor of Learning and Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning (CRL). In 2017, Bill was appointed by the OECD as co-chair of the strategic advisory group for the 2022 PISA test of Creative Thinking. Bill is an academic advisor to the Mitchell Institute, the Durham Commission on Creativity in Education and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority in Australia. Bill has authored over 40 books on creativity and education reform. Bill delivers mentorship on embedding creative and critical thinking in WA school communities, to all of the Creative Schools leaders.

Paul Gorman runs education consultancy Hidden Giants, supporting schools in reimagining their curriculum by placing creative and critical thinking at its heart. Established in 2014, Hidden Giants’ is already regarded as Scotland’s leading creative learning organisation. Paul has over 20 years of experience working in the cultural and learning sector as a freelance practitioner, project manager, lecturer, fundraiser and now strategist. He mentors Creative Schools Teachers and Creative Practitioners on teacher pedagogy, student agency and student engagement.

Mathilda is the Director of Excellence & Innovation at Sheridan College. She has been a long-term advisor to the UK, the Lithuanian and the Australian governments on curriculum and assessment policy, including as researcher to the UK’s National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education, which was chaired by the late Sir Ken Robinson and advisor to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority on creative and critical thinking. Mathilda has two bachelors and three Masters degrees (in music, languages, education, cognitive neuropsychology and business).

Nia joined CCE in 2021, leading our work with the North East Creativity Collaborative and becoming a pivotal part of the team. With 13 years’ experience working in secondary schools and further education, she reformed courses to enhance learner engagement and outcomes. In 2015, Nia became the Regional Lead for the Welsh Government and Arts Council of Wales. In 2020, she founded a social enterprise called Tybed. This initiative coincided with her contribution to UNESCO’s Futures of Education report and the launch of an education practitioner network with Dr Penny Hay from Bath Spa University.

Fiona is the Project Coordinator for FORM’s Creative Schools Program in the South-West. She leads a team of 6 Creative Practitioner from diverse creative practises. Working to enable this innovative team to deliver a high quality creative learning experience in five regional schools - Manjimup SHS, Manjimup PS, Northcliffe DHS, St Joseph’s Pemberton and Warpole PS.

Fiona is the Artistic Director/General Manager of Southern Forest Arts, a ‘not for profit’ community arts and cultural organisation based in Western Australia. Fiona also works as a freelance project coordinator, curator, public art consultant, curatorial and gallery consultant, speaker and mentor.