The Sussex Creativity Zone

Fully technology-enabled, but not technology-driven, the Sussex creativity zone provides teaching staff with personal, pedagogic and technical support, along with resources that can be used in a variety of configurations. It is hoped that this will support more innovative and effective teaching and learning in both the InQbate creativity zone itself as well as other teaching spaces on campus.

Our two key remits are to support both the teaching of creativity and creative approaches to teaching and learning. 

Use of the zone for teaching purposes takes priority over all other uses.

In the Sussex creativity zone tutors are encouraged to come and see the zone in action before teaching in there - in order to experience and develop ideas for using the zone.

Booking the Sussex Creativity Zone

The Creativity Zone is not a “bookable room” in the same way as other rooms on campus.  Users of the Zone will have first worked with Diane, the Learning Facilitator, to devise a session that will use the Zone, and its unique facilities, in innovative and appropriate ways. Courses using the zone will usually be identified at least one term in advance - and possibly up to a year. InQbate staff are on hand to help with the planning, preparation and delivery of these sessions, and there is full technical support on the day. 

If you are interested in using the Zone then please contact Diane , the learning facilitator for an initial chat; once use of the zone has been agreed your session(s) will be pencilled in.  You will then engage in the design of the session(s) with the zone team, more complex sessions might require a substantial "run through" before delivery. Because of the flexibility of the space and the technology careful planning is needed well in advance of the session, particularly for new users.  The role of the learning and technology facilitators is to make this process as interesting (and painless) as possible for tutors - but a time commitment to this planning process will be required.

Using the Sussex Creativity Zone

One of the key principles behind the design of the Zone is that of “learning through observation”.  This means that sessions in the Zone will normally be filmed, with the recordings being used in a variety of ways, e.g. by the class itself to reflect upon what they did, by other classes as an example of “best practice”, by the InQbate team as part of the ongoing evaluation and dissemination of the Zone and so on. We will also ask tutors if they are willing to open up their sessions to others, either as participants or observers. Tutors using the zone will be asked to make their own evaluation of their use of the space, based on the criteria they think are appropriate for their discipline. This will then form part of out portfolio of evaluations.

A brief guide to using the user interface panels in the space is available here .

A simple floor plan with dimensions is available here .

A plan of the layout of display devices, plasma screens and projectors, is available here .

Accessibility Issues 

The Creativity Zone is at the back of the Pevensey II / III building on the ground floor and is wheelchair accessible, there are appropriate toilet facilities on the same corridor.  However the best way to access the building for wheelchair users is via a lift at the front of the Pevensey II building, on the lower ground floor, under the "bridge" cafe. 

The Creativity zone is a complex, technology rich, reconfigurable, environment, because of this there may be some configurations which are not ideal for some people with disabilities, particularly sight or hearing, or with conditions such as epilepsy which may be triggered by light.

We will always endeavour to make sure the space is equally accessible to all the users in a session, please let us know as soon as possible if you think this may be a problem for you and we will make appropriate adjustments to the configuration for that session, we will also help with physical access to the building via the lift.

Zone use so far

Here is a general overview of the Zone in the form of a short youtube movie

Here are just a few examples of some of the activities that have taken place in the Sussex Creativity Zone over the last year:

Sussex Zone 3D Plans