national centre for creativity
I have posted previously on our ambition to establish a national centre for creativity (nc4c) here in Kilkenny – the creative heart of Ireland.
The advisory board met for only the second time last week to consider what and how we will go about achieving this ambition. I outline below some of the issues discussed at our meeting:
What is Creativity again?
Creativity is the act of turning new ideas into reality.
Creativity involves two processes: thinking – then producing.
Creativity by individuals and teams is a starting point for innovation
Innovation is the production or implementation of an idea.
If you have ideas, but don’t act on them, you are imaginative but not creative.
Why does Creativity matter?
We agreed that it’s important to consider how to engage people’s creativity.
Creativity matters in business, education, government, arts and community.
It matters for individuals, for children in school, for students in college, for professionals in the workplace and for the local community.
How else do we create a sustainable future, with new and better ways of doing things?
Creativity is key to engaging people and can be pursued in many areas.
How can we stimulate Creativity?
We can deliberately teach creativity — helping people to learn how to think in new ways, develop their strengths, imagine alternatives and generate ideas.
We can develop cultures of creativity in individuals and in organizations, where everyone’s creativity is encouraged and valued and leads to transformational innovations in products and services.
We can link entrepreneurship, research and creativity so that people know how to translate great ideas into real businesses, producing more jobs and a flourishing economy.
We can help use creativity to get people involved in actively imagining and creating their communities.
What’s missing?
Creativity is not being encouraged, facilitated and supported in Ireland in an organized, concerted fashion.
We believe therefore that there is a need for a nc4c in Ireland to focus on stimulating and advocating the importance of creativity throughout all aspects of society by developing supports and techniques to help people harness more of their inherent creative abilities.
The big ambition?
The nc4c is the national centre of excellence for the research, understanding and promotion of creative thinking techniques within the community, education, business and public sectors in Ireland.
What will we do?
The nc4c is being established to:
- Foster and support more effective use of creative thinking techniques within Irish industry, education and the public sector;
- Conduct world-class research in creative thinking and its application;
- Develop practical programmes for Irish companies to develop their creativity;
- Contribute to the development of national strategies to promote creativity as a key driver of innovation and competitiveness;
- Develop an international awareness of and establish Kilkenny – the creative heart of Ireland – as an international centre for creativity.
We have agreed a number of steps in the coming months to advance our ambition. I will keep you posted.
Sean.
Filed under: nc4c | Leave a Comment
No Responses Yet to “national centre for creativity”