Sir Ken Robinson (4 March 1950 – 21 August 2020) was a British educator, author and public speaker best known for arguing that modern schooling systems need to nurture creativity and the arts. His ideas reached a global audience through talks, books and advisory work for governments, foundations and cultural organisations. He combined academic study of arts education with a highly accessible public style that influenced teachers, policy makers and parents.
Career and major works
Robinson led the Arts in Schools Project from 1985 to 1989 and served as Professor of Arts Education at the University of Warwick from 1989 until 2001, subsequently becoming Professor Emeritus. He wrote several popular books, including The Element, Out of Our Minds and Creative Schools, which lay out practical arguments for transforming curriculum, assessment and school cultures to support diverse talents. Robinson’s 2006 TED Talk "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" remains one of the platform’s most viewed presentations and introduced his critique of standardised, test-driven approaches.
Principles and influence
- Creativity as central: He argued that creative capacities are as important as literacy and numeracy and deserve explicit support in education.
- Personalised learning: Robinson promoted teaching that recognises different aptitudes and learning styles rather than a one-size-fits-all model.
- Holistic assessment: He criticised overreliance on high-stakes testing and advocated broader measures of achievement.
Robinson combined humour and anecdote with research to make complex ideas accessible. He frequently advised ministries of education and arts organisations worldwide and participated in public debates about reforming teacher training, school organisation and cultural policy. His work sparked conversations about the purpose of schooling in the 21st century and encouraged many educators to experiment with arts-based, project and inquiry-driven approaches.
Born in Liverpool in 1950, Robinson trained in drama and English before moving into educational research and policy. He was knighted in 2003 for services to the arts. Robinson continued writing and speaking until his death; he died of cancer in August 2020 at the age of 70. His legacy survives in ongoing movements that prioritise creativity, diversity of talent and learner-centred education.