From school thenews Head
The Perse Summit 12 team in Ladakh.
From the Head
I
I am delighted that this edition of OP News has
am always struck by the length of the queue at platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross railway station. Even at
a focus on creativity. In a world which is becoming
the peak of the commuter rush hour, more people
increasingly digitised, and where artificial intelligence
can be queuing for their Hogwarts Express photo
will change the job market forever, creativity
opportunity than for the 17.44 to Cambridge. This is
is an important source of employment, wealth,
evidence, if it were needed, of the socio-economic
entertainment and human understanding. The skills
influence of the creative industries and the power of
of communication and improvisation learned in
human imagination. The government estimates that
drama, the creativity and originality produced in
the creative industries are worth £84.1 billion per year
art, the musicality and entertainment provided by
to the UK economy, and have a growth rate twice
bands and orchestras, the flair of creative writing
that of the economy as a whole. In 2016 British films,
in English and the imaginative programming that
music, video games, fashion, arts, crafts, creative
creates games in computer science are all an
writing and publishing generated £9.6 million per hour.
essential part of a creative education at The Perse. With the Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre
The wealth created supports hundreds of thousands
and Pelican Gallery now fully open, the
of jobs, and is an important source of philanthropy.
creative subjects have a flagship
The biggest benefactor to medical research at the
building worthy of their central role
University of Edinburgh is one Harry Potter.
in education, the economy, and
Schools are vulnerable to urban myths, and on the Cambridge dinner party circuit The Perse is
human development. I hope to see
often said to be ‘the maths and science school’.
you at a school play, concert, or art
I am proud of The Perse’s strong record in
exhibition so you can sample and
maths and science (not many schools have
enjoy Perse creativity in action.
two Nobel Prize winners for science)
With best wishes, Ed Elliott
but I am equally proud of our excellent record in languages, the humanities, and of course creative subjects. 3
