The recent global pandemic has made us all aware of the importance of small acts of creativity on our daily lives. Whether we have been baking banana bread, experimenting with sourdough, sewing masks for ourselves or the community, or merely ‘dressing-up’ for Zoom meetings, we have witnessed the value of these everyday creative activities or performances, either in person or on social media.

For those of us who work in Further and Higher Education, and particularly with studio based students, we have witnessed new ways to be creative and have seen this reflected in the work of our students too. Different modes of creativity have been developed, and frequently this has emerged in unexpected ways.

This conference considers the ways in which the global pandemic has fostered new approaches to everyday creativity and creative pedagogic practices. Situated primarily, but not exclusively in the disciplines of fashion and textiles, the conference aims to draw together scholarly papers that consider acts of expected and unexpected creativity during a specific time and space.

It also invites contributions from practitioners and students working within creative subjects and frameworks to share their experiences of changing, modifying and reinventing project briefs, considering new ways of creative thinking and doing. Whether this was finding alternatives, doing more with less, or finding new methods of expression, we are particularly keen to hear about examples of good practice.

Presentations will be 10 minutes long, allowing for 5 minutes for questions.

Examples of creativity and questions for discussion might include, but are not limited the following:

· The impact of the pandemic on personal, pedagogic and/or student creativity

· Can dress and demonstrate a sense of self (both public and private) over an extended period of time, utilising what one has in ones wardrobe? So, can access to just one’s wardrobe, with added time at home, foster creativity (mix & match, new forms of styling, dressmaking, accessorisation)?

· Can creativity in these forms be developed and fostered through one’s social media echo chamber? Can we express ourselves through everyday dress practices in sites that support a culture of attention?

· Can creativity + attention and affirmation of ‘dressing’ via social media friendship groups inform and develop self esteem? What can everyday creativity tell us about clothing, consumption and the presentation of the self? Can increased dressing confidence negate excessive consumption practices?

· Does having less make us more creative?

· Are everyday acts of creativity sustainable?

· How can creative thinking enhance the curriculum?

· What are the values and impact of creative thinking and doing?