In 2024, the Commissioner held a series of school consultations about arts and creativity to find out what creativity looks like for children and young people in their daily lives, and to hear their ideas for making their communities more creative. South Australian children and young people told the Commissioner that creativity was important to them and formed a large part of their everyday lives.
Exposing children and young people to art and creativity from an early age means supporting their capacity to appreciate the world around them and to develop a strong sense of individual creativity, imagination, and critical thinking skills.
Research shows comprehensively that exposure to culture and arts education means children perform better in school and in life more broadly, and that they are generally happier, more confident and more connected to others.
Children and young people have many ideas for ways in which their lives at home, at school, outside, and in the broader community can be made more creative. They also have a keen understanding of the importance of expressing themselves creatively and would like to see more safe places and spaces for creative expression be made available in their daily lives.