Ruth Churchill-Dower
Founder Of Earlyarts Uk
Ruth works as a trainer, consultant, author, speaker and thought leader with a specialist focus on how creative strategies can nurture our learning and leadership development.
Ruth set up the award winning network for the arts and early childhood sectors, Earlyarts, in 2002 with a vision to embed excellent creative leadership in many schools and settings across the UK and the Middle East. To achieve this, Earlyarts works in collaboration with artists and educators to train around 1,000 early childhood professionals each year.
Through Earlyarts consultancy practice, Ruth has worked with major international clients such as Early Years International, Infinite Learning, Sharjah Museums Department, UCL Qatar, Independent Schools Association, Arts Council England, Arts Council Ireland, Department of Education, Department of Culture.
A former teacher, accredited relational dynamics coach, folk violinist and British Paragliding Team member, Ruth lives in Yorkshire with her two children and spends any free time in the hills paragliding, mountain biking, puddle-splashing and generally having as much fun as possible before tea.
Key takeaways:
- Ruth Churchill Dow's Background: Founder of Early Arts UK, Ruth is a trainer, author, former teacher, hang glider, and violinist, passionate about fostering creativity in schools, aligning with Tales Toolkit's focus on movement, music, and storytelling.
- Creativity and Play in Learning: Ruth emphasizes that creative play, using tools like cardboard boxes, supports children's emotional wellbeing, confidence, and communication by providing safe, versatile spaces for exploration and self-expression.
- Holistic and Sensory Learning: Children learn through all senses, with repetitive activities strengthening neural pathways, helping them make sense of their world, as seen in immersive creative tasks like role play and drawing.
- Creative Solutions for Challenges: Role play helps children with challenging behaviors process emotions and develop empathy by acting out scenarios, while creative activities like dance and storytelling aid nonverbal expression and emotional processing.
- Resources for Educators: Ruth offers free resources on earlyarts.co.uk, including a den-building pack and a “10 Top Tips for Creative Teaching” guide, encouraging educators to nurture creativity using everyday items.
Related Webinars
We'd love your feedback!
Did you love it or hate it? And what ideas have you got for upcoming webinars - big names you'd love to see or topics you'd like covered?