Do you believe that creative writing courses, workshops and literary festivals are the answer?

I don't think courses help, you can teach someone to write however you can't teach someone to tell a story. Reading is much better and obviously free.

I think it depends how you learn. Some people find it much easier to learn through books, some by attending presentations, some by seeing what others have done and imitating.

It's worth remembering however that whilst ability is inherent and a true artist will always stand out, publishing is a big old industry where they work to formulas and standards. If you want to get an agent to see you as a sure bet you need to present them with something they recognise as publishable. Sure it needs to be unique but it needs to fit their mould. If you've not worked in the industry before and you want to get in with publishers and agents, it's worth finding some way of learning the rules.

I agree with the horses for courses argument, but personally I think you can learn much more from listening to people speak about their own experiences, and having the ability to ask questions. You can read as many books as you like, but I think you can't beat the interaction with other writers, agents or publishers. I haven't been to any festivals or workshops, but find the writing group to be an excellent way to learn and also experiment with your own writing.