To stay competitive in the rapidly changing and globalized world, education communities across the globe have put sought strenuously to equip students with ‘21st Century skills’- in particular, creativity. These communities are dedicated to developing and implementing new curricula aimed at developing the competencies necessary to bring about positive changes in their home country and in the world at large.

The Creative Lab, an initiative by Professor Xiping TAO, educator, former member of the National Education Advisory Commission and Senior Advisor to the National Education Inspectorate of China, was launched in 2019 after his visit to the UK educational communities. Funded by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission to explore the role and value of creativity and leadership in education, it curates professional exchanges, bespoke training and cultural activities to leaders, educators and learners in China and beyond.

This chapter serves as an introduction to the ethos, rationale and past meetings of the Creative Lab – in order to explain to the wider world world our success so far in fostering creativity in school curricula. Hopefully, this document will provide useful information that schools may be seeking concerning the enhancement of creativity and innovation in a 21st Century educational context.

We seek to empower schools to become the right environment for fostering creative teaching and teaching for creativity, helping the younger generation to master creative thinking in order to become future leaders and lifelong learners in the 21st century.

• Restructure curricula and pedagogies with young people;

• Support teachers at all levels with the knowledge and skills to facilitate creative teaching and teaching for creativity;

• Increase awareness through collaboration with students, teachers, schools, and local communities;

• Encourage constructive dialogues in creative thinking and educational development across borders.