CREATIVITY

CAS is organized around the three strands of creativity, activity and service defined as follows.

• Creativity – arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking.

• Activity – physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the DP.

• Service – an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected.

Exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance

Creativity in CAS provides students with the opportunity to explore their own sense of original thinking and expression. Creativity will come from the student’s talents, interests, passions, emotional responses, and imagination; the form of expression is limitless. This may include visual and performing arts, digital design, writing, film, culinary arts, crafts and composition. Students are encouraged to engage in creative endeavours that move them beyond the familiar, broadening their scope from conventional to unconventional thinking.

If students are accomplished in a particular creative form, for example, music, painting or acting, they may choose to extend their involvement and deepen their skill level. Within their field, students can define new challenges and objectives to fulfill creativity in CAS. For example, a musician may compose and perform a guitar solo; an artist may create a new sculpture or photographic series; an actor may present an original dramatic piece. By striving for new possibilities, students may discover ways to meet challenges and identify strengths that carry them forward with curiosity and continued innovation. When demonstrating creative expression, students may showcase their product or performance in a variety of ways, for example, through a recording, a presentation, an exhibition, social media or shared discussion. Creativity in CAS is not met by the appreciation of the creative efforts of others, such as attending a concert or art exhibition.

Creativity can be inspired and informed by the student’s Diploma courses. For example, students can meet new challenges and objectives in creativity using the skills developed in the visual arts course, or find new ways of expression utilizing elements in the design technology course. However, creativity experiences must be distinct from, and may not be included or used in, the student’s Diploma course requirements.

As with all CAS experiences, students reflect meaningfully on their engagement with creativity, and may be guided to look for moments of personal significance or inspiration as a call for reflection. Creativity may provide inspiration for the ways in which students will reflect. For example, students may reflect through art, music, a brief narrative, a blog posting, photos, a skit, or other methods.

CAS Guide, 2015