The Towards Creative Schools Conference brings together early childhood educators, primary and secondary teachers, teaching artists, school leaders, higher education staff and researchers to share practice and research on creativity and the arts in learning.
The call for proposals is open now and closes on Monday 1 February 2027. Registration opens later in 2026. Join CREATE to hear when registration opens. Membership is free and open to anyone.
The CREATE Centre invites proposals for the 2027 Towards Creative Schools Conference.
We welcome proposals from teachers, teaching artists, school leaders, early childhood educators, academics, pre-service teachers and higher degree research candidates. We particularly welcome work that reflects inclusivity and the full range of learners’ cultural and linguistic repertoires, including EALD and First Nations students. Proposals may report completed work, works in progress, or practical approaches that participants can use in their own settings.
Submissions close Monday 1 February 2027. Applicants are notified in March 2027.
Proposals are submitted to one of four strands. You may nominate up to two.
The submission form asks for your name, email address, organisation or school, position or role, a presenter biography of up to 80 words, your proposal title, your strand or strands, your presentation format, a 100-word abstract, a short description of what participants will take away, and your target audience. You can also list co-presenters, and indicate whether you would like to be considered for a needs-based registration subsidy.
Accepted presenters register at $660.00, which covers one day of presenting and access to both days. This rate is the same whenever a presenter registers, so the early-bird discount does not apply to it.
Proposals are reviewed by the conference committee. We accept submissions across all strands and formats.
A limited number of needs-based subsidies are available to reduce the cost of registration for presenters who would otherwise find it difficult to attend. Subsidies are open to:
A subsidy reduces the presenter registration fee by 80 percent, from $660.00 to $132.00. It covers registration only, not travel or accommodation.
Tick the subsidy box in your proposal submission, then complete the subsidy application form. Use the same email address on both, because that is how the two are matched. Subsidies are assessed by the conference committee alongside your proposal, and applying does not affect whether your proposal is accepted. Applications close Monday 1 February 2027 and applicants are notified with their proposal outcome in March 2027.
Zoe Cassim, Director of Programs and Publishing at the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Bronwyn Bancroft, artist, fashion designer and presenter of the annual Jacqueline Manuel Address.
The Jacqueline Manuel Address is a keynote held in honour of Professor Jacqueline Manuel and her contribution to English and literacy education.
The full program will be published in 2027, once proposals have been reviewed. The shape of the two days is:
Dates: Friday 30 and Saturday 31 July 2027
Venue: Sydney Nanoscience Hub (Building A31), the University of Sydney, Camperdown campus. Find Building A31 on the University’s campus map
Who it is for: early childhood educators, primary and secondary teachers, teaching artists, school leaders, higher education staff and researchers.
Format: two days, face to face, with keynote addresses, papers, panels, workshops and arts-based practice.
Getting there. The Camperdown campus is served by frequent buses along Parramatta Road and City Road, and is a walk from Redfern station. Visitor parking on campus is limited and paid.
Accommodation. Delegates travelling from regional and remote areas will find the widest choice of accommodation in Newtown, Glebe, Chippendale and the Sydney city centre, all within a short walk or bus ride of the campus. The CREATE Centre does not book accommodation and does not endorse particular providers.
Enquiries: thomas.deangelis@sydney.edu.au
Registration opens later in 2026. Join CREATE to hear when registration opens.
Early-bird registration closes on Sunday 28 February 2027, before the full program is announced. All prices include GST.
| Registration | Early bird, to 28 February 2027 | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Two-day delegate | $660.00 | $880.00 |
| One-day delegate | $330.00 | $440.00 |
| Presenter, one day presenting with access to both days | $660.00 | $660.00 |
Early-bird registration is 25 percent off the standard delegate rate. The presenter rate is the same whenever a presenter registers.
Schools registering three or more staff receive 20 percent off, and the school discount and the early-bird discount combine.
| Three staff | Standard | School discount | Early bird | Both discounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-day | $2,640.00 | $2,112.00 | $1,980.00 | $1,584.00 |
| One-day | $1,320.00 | $1,056.00 | $990.00 | $792.00 |
