Adobe MAX: How we’re bringing creativity into the heart of education

How can we help a generation of young people embrace creativity as a force for good in their lives? That’s one question we’ll be exploring at Adobe MAX (26-28th October) our annual creativity conference. Our three-day event brings together a who’s who of inspirational celebrities, artists, musicians, and educators who will help you embrace your inner creative.

Our experts and guests will run more than 400 sessions, including sessions by actors Tilda Swinton and Riz Ahmed, leading voices from across the worlds of design, film, fashion and education. You can also tune into MAX to explore real-world learning from experts across creativity and education, attend workshops on how they are using the world’s most used creative apps for self-expression and how they’re bringing creativity to the classroom and to education institutions, to inspire the next generation of creators.

And best of all - it’s free.

We know that creativity is a skill for today and the future, with digital literacy skills in high demand by individuals and workplaces. This is why at Adobe, we’re committed to enabling Creativity for All. We want to enable people from all walks of life to have the ability to share their story, and equip teachers, schools and universities everywhere to prepare their students for a future reliant on digital skills.

Kicking off the education track at MAX will be a live broadcast session focused on narrative, digital skills and storytelling. Hear from Mark Andrews – Senior Strategic Development Manager at Adobe and researchers from Oxford University to discuss the importance of narrative when it comes to future career prospects. As part of this live broadcast, the winners of the Digital Edge Awards will showcase their digitally savvy projects and their secrets to success, and Fernando Baptista from National Geographic will explore the art of creative storytelling through infographics and data. Sign-up to listen live here.

We’ve picked out four essential sessions in the MAX Education track to give you a flavour of what we have in store for you.

1. Michael Ramage, Professor of Architecture and Engineering at Cambridge University, will showcase how creative skills can help solve some of the world’s most pressing issues. He does it every day with 3D design software, using Adobe Creative Cloud to convey his ideas, and will discuss everything from wooden skyscrapers to how to produce the next generation of problem solvers.

Join Michael’s session Education and research for a better and sustainable future, will take place, on Wednesday 27th October, 1:00 - 1:30 PM BST

2. Nishy Lall, Head of Young People at Sky, will discuss how The Edit has enabled young people from a diversity of backgrounds to develop their creativity, communication and digital storytelling skills. As well as how they used the latest creative apps to express themselves and share what matters to them most with the world.

Join Nishy’s talk, ‘The Edit’: changing the world with digital storytelling, will take place, on Wednesday 27th October, 2:00 - 2:30 PM BST

3. Tomi Rowlands, Digital Lead at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen school in Machynlleth, Wales, will discuss how he and his fellow teachers have embraced a new digital technology initiative to spearhead creativity in the classroom, starting with, primary school learners to teach essential digital skills for the future.

Join Tomi’s talk, Developing Creative Digital Literacy Skills with All Students, will take place, on Wednesday 27th October, 3:30 - 4:00 PM BST and Thursday 28th October, 6:30 - 7:00 PM BST

4. Bill Watkin, Chief Executive of the Sixth Form College Association, will join MAX to share how we can develop a generation of creators rather than consumers by teaching them creativity through digital skills at school.

Join Bill’s talk, Creativity and the Arts: equipping students for the future, will take place, on Thursday 28th October, 2:30 - 3:00 PM BST

Whether you’re a teacher or lecturer or fellow, join us at MAX to hear from some of the UK’s leading voices in education and get a head start to the future of Creativity. Register your interest at Adobe MAX.