The problem:

The Creative Kids program is a project which has been run by the NSW government since 2019 with a $216 million budget to improve engaging children in creative activities. Discouragingly, the office that has responsibility for the eligibility of providers, Create NSW, is not convinced that chess is creative and can not be included in this program. This decision has created a problem for families whose chosen activity for their children is chess and want to use this help from the government in enrolling them in this program.

The solution:

We believe this decision has been made by people who are not aware of chess and its learning philosophy. Contrary to the common belief that chess is a game solely based on logic, it is a game that playing and developing in it is based on imagination and creativity. It can be one of the few activities that have structured training to improve practical imagination that is not just useful for chess but any other activity that needs creativity. We are confident by accepting chess in this program, many children and families can use the benefits of chess.

The history:

We have contacted Create NSW by email and by phone for about a year. We have heard different explanations. Some of them came from the unawareness of art of chess, for example: 'chess is not considered creative.', or 'The outcome of chess is not creative.' and some of them came from the authority in charge, for example: ' Even though we are sure that everything has creativity in it, we need to draw a line somewhere or everything structured can be included in this program' or 'our experts don't consider chess to be beneficial for children's creativity development.'