On Saturday, the wonderful Barbara O'Meara (Head of Early Childhood training and creative early years action research programme at Cork College) hosted an international conference on how the arts makes a difference in early learning.

With a grand line up of fab speakers, including Cliodhna Noonan (Acting Up Arts in Cairo), Corina Chiran (Early Years Arts in Bucharest) and Rhona Mattheson (Starcatchers in Edinburgh), I was very sorry not to be able to join them. However, I was able to pre-record my presentation which hopefully helped to underpin the other messages being discussed by delegates.

This conference was testament to the growing network of pioneers (these guys along with several others) who are really setting the cornerstone of exemplar creative practice in early years across the globe and I was very sorry not to see them in person. I hear I missed a great party!