Governments around the world are predicting that the economy of the future will be supported by huge numbers of creative jobs, with creativity (alongside data) described as the ‘new oil’. Since creativity is in the DNA of the cultural sectors, what is our evolving role in the context of the Innovation Economy to unleashing the creative potential of individuals from cradle to grave? How does the latest thinking around STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) and the role of creative play impact our approach to education?