The initial inspiration to develop a special issue of the
International Journal of EarlyYears Education
focusing on Creativity and Cultural Innovation in Early ChildhoodEducation came from a symposium on young children’s music making at a meetingof SEMPRE, the Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (April 2004)and from a three-day workshop on Creativity and Cultural Education held during theFifth Warwick International Early Years Conference (March 2005). At both events,there were fascinating presentations on very young children’s cultures, their creativeactivities and the creative environments that support these. Moreover, there was generalagreement between delegates: firstly, that culture and creativity should be regardedas socially constructed, dynamic dimensions of children’s activities and socializationthat emerge through interactions with other people and with the environment and,secondly, that there are important relationships between creative and cultural educa-tion that have significant implications for pedagogy and practice in the early years.