Keynote Speaker

Sir Ken Robinson is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources. Now based in Los Angeles, he has worked with national governments in Europe and Asia, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies, not-for-profit corporations and some of the world's leading cultural organizations. They include the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sir Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, the Royal Ballet, the Hong Academy for Performing Arts, the European Commission, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the J Paul Getty Trust and the Education Commission of the States. For ten years he was Professor of Education at the University of Warwick in England and is now Professor Emeritus.

See Sir Ken's video on YouTube.

In 1998, he led a national commission on creativity, education and the economy for the UK Government bringing together leading business people, scientists, artists and educators. His report, All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (The Robinson Report) was published to huge acclaim. The London Times said: 'This report raises some of the most important issues facing business in the 21st century. It should have every CEO and human resources director thumping the table and demanding action'. He was the central figure in developing a strategy for creative and economic development as part of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, working with the ministers for training, education enterprise and culture. The resulting blueprint for change, Unlocking Creativity, was adopted by politicians of all parties and by business, education and cultural leaders across the Province.  He was one of four international advisors to the Singapore Government for its strategy to become the creative hub of South East Asia.

Sir Ken is in high demand as an inspirational speaker with a unique talent for conveying profoundly serious messages with enormous humor and passion and wit. He speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing business and education in the new global economies. His latest book, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative (Wiley-Capstone) is described by Director magazine as 'a truly mind opening analysis of why we don't get the best out of people at a time of punishing change.' John Cleese said: 'Ken Robinson writes brilliantly about the different ways in which creativity is undervalued and ignored in Western culture and especially in our educational systems.' In 2005 he was named as one of Time/Fortune/CNN's 'Principal Voices'. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him for services to the arts.