Michigan State University | College of Arts and Letters

SOLD OUT AUDIENCE ENTHRALLED BY SIR KEN ROBINSON

A capacity crowd in Wharton Center's Pasant Theatre applauded Sir Ken Robinson multiple times during his nearly two-hour presentation, Wednesday evening, March 21. An internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources, Robinson was the College of Arts and Letters Spring 2012 Signature Lecturer and kick-off speaker for the College's Creativity Exploratory. A mix of engaged students, teachers, administrators and policymakers heard Robinson explain his ideas on how to fix what he thinks is an outdated public education system by personalizing learning and fostering the creativity of students. 

“I think that the message he is spreading is so important right now,” said Karin Wurst, dean of MSU’s College of Arts and Letters in an article in the Lansing State Journal. “And, he delivers the message in a way that is pleasant and entertaining which makes a big difference, instead of (being) preachy.”

Prior to his Signature Lecture, Robinson met with College of Arts and Letters and other MSU students at Wharton Center at an event organized and run by CAL's Creativity Exploratory student Fellows. Sir Ken answered students' questions for more than an hour, and the remainder of the two-hour, 30-minute event was filled with various creative activities, musical and Department of Theatre performances, pizza, salad and soft drinks. Following the Signature Lecture, the CE Fellows set up a table at Sir Ken Robinson's book signing and passed out information and answered visitors' questions about the Creativity Exploratory.

Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson works with governments in Europe, Asia, and the USA, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and some of the world’s leading cultural organizations. In 1998, he led a national commission on creativity, education and the economy for the UK Government. All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (The Robinson Report) was published to wide acclaim in 1999. He was the central figure in developing a strategy for creative and economic development as part of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, working with the ministers for training, education enterprise and culture. The resulting blueprint for change, Unlocking Creativity, was adopted by politicians of all parties and by business, education and cultural leaders across the Province. He was one of four international advisors to the Singapore Government for its strategy to become the creative hub of South East Asia.

For 12 years, Robinson was professor of education at the University of Warwick in the UK and is now professor emeritus. He has received honorary degrees from the Open University and the Central School of Speech and Drama; Birmingham City University, and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. He was been honored with the Athena Award of the Rhode Island School of Design for services to the arts and education; the Peabody Medal for contributions to the arts and culture in the United States and the Benjamin Franklin Medal of the Royal Society of Arts for outstanding contributions to cultural relations between the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 2005, he was named as one of Time/Fortune/CNN’s “Principal Voices.” In 2003, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the arts. He speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing business and education in the new global economies.

His latest book, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything (Penguin/Viking 2009) was a New York Times best-seller and is being translated into eight different languages.