The concept of Creative Literacy developed out of a personal journey that drew inspiration from many groups and organisations who journey into what Jean Houston calls the 'psycho-historical recovery of the self'.  Throughout the 1970's several initiatives influenced the development of 'creative literacy' as an idea: the work of Carl rogers in person centred psychology;  the progressive educational philosophy of those times, based on Jerome Bruner and others,  advocated group work and individual free choice, and 'Interdisciplinary Enquiry' flourished briefly as an expression of the 60's idealism. With critical commentary this 'laisez faire' system, though brilliant in its philosophical vision, was soon abandoned in favour of more teacher-lead approaches.  However, the same inspired approach took root in Italy, where today many teachers travel for study visits in the Reggio Emilia region, where early years education involves developing the concept individual learning journeys, expressive arts projects, emergent curriculum, collective assessment, teacher research and pupil empowerment.  In this country, Mantle of the Expert and Philosophy for Children began in the 1980's, and in same 'child centred' spirit,   the roots of the Play Team's work with non directive play and expressive arts were planted in the 1990's. We are entering the 21st Century with a deeply rooted person-centred ethos which is enhanced by the internet and many electronic communication gadgets such as IPod, IPhone and IPad, linking us to a flow of spontaneous, individualised responses that are not contained by space-time as they used to.  This is reflected in latest research in brain neurophysiology, which is taking a higher profile many areas of life. Recent research promotes the integration of body-mind principles such as emotional awareness and relaxation into professional development, medicine, complementary therapies, education and personal development.

Creative Literacy recognises the current scientific and social revolution that is giving rise to small innovative groups.  It complements the work of the Play Team Association's child directed, therapeutic play and expressive arts, which grew out of Carl Rogers' person-centred psychology, giving rise to play therapy work of Margaret Lowenfeld, Virginia Axline and Rachel Pinney.  Their work underpins the development of child directed play facilitation as a therapeutic support for all those working with children.  It was formed in 2006 under the inspiration of Professor Anna Clarke, out of the ashes of Rachel Pinney's 'Children's Hours Trust'.  It believes that everyone has the capacity to heal themselves and recover from trauma or emotional barriers, given the right circumstances. Training enables the therapeutic practitioner to work with children to provide a 'holding space' of adult reflective listening. Through free play, within ground rules of safety, they can be seen to work through their emotional, cognitive and psycho-motor developmental issues. 

We work with and consolidate a tradition of person centred learning and 'becoming' which began in the last half of the 20th Century with the work of Carl Rogers being followed by Daniel Goleman and the Emotional Intelligence movement, and most recently the rise of 'psycho-immunology' and body-mind theory of emotional conditioning patterns underlying disease.  Today in this country, a strong movement to consolidate child centred learning is growing in schools where inspections demonstrate the critical success of strategies such as: Philosophy with Children and Mantle of the Expert. A return full circle to the era of progressive education is occurring, with improved systematic assessment and recommendations in the government's guidelines for SEAL - Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning, Citizenship and Cross Curricular teaching. Creative Literacy and The Play Team's work in schools seeks to bridge these initiatives with basic skills training in reflective listening for teachers, learning support staff and those working in children's centres. The inherent principle is of the importance of the emotional basis of cognitive learning, and the underlying implications for mental and physical health.

Creative Literacy uses Creative Journal as a central activity for person-centred learning and development.  In 2007 Charlotte Yonge PhD began training with Lucia Capacchione PhD in Texas, using the CJEA Creative Journal Expressive Arts method of therapeutic self development and learning support.  She began to apply her training to one to one adult coaching, and to supporting 5 yr olds in school in Devon, with good results, particularly in the way they expressed their feelings in their journals.  Together with child directed play, children with emotional difficulties arising out of disturbed home backgrounds, showed improved language skill, emotional stability, increased confidence and greater ability for mental focus and confidence in classroom learning.  At the end of a session, a child will be asked if he or she wants to make an entry in their journal, and particularly when they feel 'cross' at having to leave the play area. Some draw a 'grumpy' face, or scribble furiously, before leaving calmly for their classroom.

In Devon, the local Infant School created a supply teacher position to deliver 'Therapeutic Learning Support' through Child Directed Play with Creative Journal with children from 5 yrs. The Social Services began funding home support using child directed play.  The need to return to child directed learning is being recognised as filled a gap in child care provision, where emotional issues can be attended to in ways appropriate to the individual, and adults from across the professional spectrum as well as volunteers, can develop child directed play skills in a straight forward way.  Talks and training are planned at the local Children's Centre where child directed play is seen as providing skills support for the application of the Reggio approach in the South West. The Children's Centres in Devon and Cornwall are actively seeking ways of developing child centred learning for early education and parenting, and Creative Literacy is now providing a complementary training in child directed play and reflective listening.

Creative Literacy took a role on an International stage. In August 2009, Play Team's Creative Director, Anna Clarke, and Charlotte Yonge gave a talk and workshop at the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (www.ieata.org) conference 'Peace-ing Our World Together' in Cambridge, MA. They now play a role in forming  a European Branch of IEATA, aiming for a first conference In 2010.  In May 2010 they are also contributing to the Play Therapy United Kingdom  World Congress 'Making a Difference - Innovations in the use of Creative Arts and Play Therapies, in Marrakesh, Morocco.  These initiatives show how we are transforming our understanding of what it is to be human in expressing our natural instincts for play and curiosity, expressive recreation and return to a richer, more colourful, healing and supportive social life.  We share in a world vision of cultural renewal, shared by visionaries such as Jean Houston (The Possible Human), Daniel Goleman (Emtotional Intelligence), David Spangler (Incarnational Spirituality), Bruce Lipton (he Biology of Consciousness), and Candace Pert (Molecules of Emotion), amongst many others.  The picture being put forward by both scientists and mystics is a renewal of ethical social, political and commercial practices that reflect the dignity and potential of each individual to become masters of their own destiny and creators of a compassionate, equitable world, where resources, education and energy are available to all.  Creative Literacy and The Play Team are part of renewal at grass roots level, where, in time, person- and child-centred creative, expressive arts and play will be accessible to all, making it possible for spontaneous expressions of community, festival and new humanistic optimism to flourish.

'So many things fail to interest us, simply because they don't find in us enough surfaces on which to live, and what we have to do is to increase the number of planes in our mind, so that a much larger number of themes can find a plane in it at the same time.'  
Ortega Y Gasset

'... extend and refine your own lenses of body, mind and spirit... ...tap and orchestrate your hidden creative resorces. The result is that you will become a partner in the co-evolutionary task, able to perceive the Pattern that Connects, able to take those actions and acquire those skills that help build the earth and nurture the possible human.'