A postcard to the Imaginative Curriculum Research and Scholarship Centre, looking back on the first information session
On the 1 December 2025, the School of Education at the University of Leeds hosted the first information session for the Imaginative Curriculum Research and Scholarship Centre.
As a member of the steering committee for this new centre, Dr Delyth Edwards shares her experience from the first information session held for the Imaginative Curriculum Research and Scholarship Centre (ICRSC).
“The Centre aims to bring together educators, researchers, and students to explore imaginative, creative, and sustainable curriculum practices, scholarship, and research. This event marked an exciting step toward creating a vibrant hub for collaboration and innovation. As a member of the steering committee for the centre, I was involved in planning some of the session activities. It is exciting to be part of the steering committee, which for me means being part of a community of curiosity and facilitating a space for playful learning.
“One of the activities I was involved in thinking about and facilitating was a reflective postcard activity. When I was young, I used to love sending and receiving postcards from friends over the summer holidays. It always provided the opportunity to write something exciting about what I had been doing or seen and to keep in touch with important people who were far away. At the end of the information session, we invited participants to design and draw on the front of a blank postcard what imagination means to them. We then asked them to write on the back, what they could bring to the centre, what the centre could mean to them, what they would be interested in collaborating on and is there anything they would be interested in leading on. By doing this, we hoped that this would create feelings of nostalgia, connection and sense of belonging within and to the centre.
“All the postcards were posted into a post box that my two young children made. It was during December so of course it was a Christmas themed postbox!
“The postcard responses were rich and varied, ranging from participants sharing details of their expertise in curriculum design, use of creative approaches to education such as drama strategies and educational games. Many participants highlighted personal qualities like curiosity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to experiment as strengths they could bring to build community. Practical contributions were also shared, which included skills in educational technology, networking, and project management.
“Participants envisioned the ICRSC as a safe and supportive space for collaboration and growth – a hub where diverse ideas can flourish and where mistakes are welcomed as part of the learning process. Suggestions for future collaboration included working with schools, designing inclusive curricula, and exploring wellbeing within education. Leadership aspirations ranged from developing research projects to hosting creative workshops and playful networking activities. Together, these reflections highlight the centre’s potential to become a transformative space for imaginative and inclusive education, spanning the full breadth of the educational landscape. Discussions during the session also underscored the importance of cross‑sector conversations and collaboration both within and beyond higher education. The centre welcomes everyone who works in education – across all levels and across informal, formal, or specialist contexts. Finally, the ‘postcards to the centre’ activity served as a reminder of the importance of ‘keeping in touch, of staying connected and continuing the conversation’.”
We encourage all teachers, educators, researchers, and students across the education sector who are passionate about creativity and curriculum innovation to join us. Together, we can create a space that values imagination as both a design principle and a lived experience.
To receive further updates about the Centre, please complete this short form.
