" Given your longstanding, excellent work using the arts in early years' contexts, I thought you might be interested to know that I recently mentioned your work during presentations I gave in Medellin in Colombia.

I was invited by the organisation Comfenalco, Antioquia to talk at the XI International Forum on Early Childhood Education on the 6th and 7th October 2010. The organisers of the conference asked for two presentations, the first on arts education policy in Scotland and the second on arts education practice in Scotland. There were approximately 1000 delegates attending.

I believe we in Scotland are internationally in a very strong position in relation to both areas. Our arts/creative education policy context in Scotland is particularly strong given the emphasis on creative learning and teaching in the Curriculum for Excellence and the recently published Education and the Arts, Culture and Creativity action plan endorsed by Fiona Hyslop, Mike Russell and Keith Brown http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/ACE/expactionplan.

That young people, including very young people, are comfortable and creative in expressing themselves and learning through the arts is evident. Your work provides an excellent illustration of how creativity and the arts can be used to empower the learning providers to nurture and develop those precious creative attributes. I look forward to seeing how things develop."

Joan Paar, Portfolio Manager, Education, Learning and Young People. Creative Scotland