The Creativity Conversation
A two day symposium exploring creativity
11th and 12th June 2007
Institute Of Creative Technologies
De Montfort University.
What is The Creativity Conversation about?
Creativity is a fundamental human attribute, critical to cultural and economic
well-being yet it is still mysterious in many ways. This symposium brings
together leading thinkers together with delegates from varied backgrounds to
consider some key questions:
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What is creativity?
How can technology help us to understand creativity?
What part can technology play in the creative process?
What can creativity research offer industry?
What can researchers learn from commercial creative practice?
How can industry and academia collaborate to further our
understanding of creativity?
Who is the creativity conversation for?
This event is deliberately intended to appeal to people across a wide
spectrum of disciplines, because creativity is such a ubiquitous human
characteristic. It is for people working in the creative industries as
practitioners and for researchers who wish to enhance their understanding of
creative processes and mechanisms, broaden their understanding of the
different research perspectives and contribute to the future research agenda
in this field.
Why should you consider attending?
In a post-industrial global economy, creativity is likely to be a key to future
economic success as well as cultural well-being. The creative industries are
among the fastest-growing areas of the UK economy, growing by 8% per
annum between 1997 and 2001, significantly more than the economy as a
whole, and contributing £11.5 billion to the balance of trade in 2001. Creativity
impacts on so many aspects of our lives: health care, politics, business,
entertainment, education, etc. If you want to gain a better understanding of
what creativity means, how it can be enhanced through the use of appropriate
technologies and how you can play a part in shaping the future research
agenda, then this symposium is for you.
What will you learn?
This event is intentionally transdisciplinary, so what you learn from it will
depend on your starting point and receptiveness to alternative perspectives.
The speakers and other events cover a range of viewpoints including
cognition, computing, collaboration, play, philosophy and methodology.
What is the programme?
The theme of the symposium is 'conversation' and the programme is designed
to stimulate this and provide opportunities for a rich variety of conversation
topics around the central questions we have identified. In addition to four
highly distinguished key speakers there will be parallel workshop sessions
covering a variety of practical activities and a 'floating discussions' session
that will allow delegates the facilities and time to get together to discuss selfdefined topics. To ensure the conversations are sparking and fresh the
programme will include less conventional elements including a creativity stroll
and a light hearted image conversation competition. All the sessions will be
recorded and made available for download via the Web.
Workshop topics include:
 creative digital writing
 machinima
 gaming
 tools for collaboration and conversation
 AIBO stories
*All delegates are invited to a pre-dinner drinks reception after which we will
disperse to a number of local restaurants. Please note that the dinner itself is
at the delegates own expense.
Who are the keynote speakers?
Prof. Margaret Boden
Currently Research Professor of Cognitive Science at Sussex University, Margaret
was the founding-Dean of Sussex University's School of Cognitive and Computing
Sciences, a pioneering centre for research into intelligence and the mechanisms
underlying it.
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/informatics/profile276.html
Giles Lane
Director of Proboscis, an artist-led collaborative studio. The key to the studio’s
activity is collaboration; between artists, writers, curators, critics, designers,
technologists, film makers, scientists and theorists.
http://proboscis.org.uk
Prof. Richard Coyne
Professor of Architectural Computing at Edinburgh University, Richard researches
and teaches in the areas of information technology in practice, computer-aided
design in architecture, the philosophy of information technology, multimedia in
design, digital media, and design theory.
http://ddm.caad.ed.ac.uk/~richard/
Dr. Claudia Eckert
Claudia Eckert is an assistant director of the Engineering Design Centre at the
University of Cambridge, where she is involved in several projects on aspects of
design process improvement for complex engineering processes, such as process
modelling, process planning and change prediction. However her previous work was
concerned with communication and inspiration in the knitwear industry. One of her
main interests lies in comparisons between design practise in different design
domains.
http://www-edc.eng.cam.ac.uk/people/cme26.html
Frank Boyd
Frank founded Unexpected Media with Judith Glynne in 2000. They work mostly in
the digital media sector supporting innovation and facilitating creative research.
Frank has also worked on a series of innovative programmes to support creative,
social and economic development in the UK’s new media sector since founding the
Arts Technology Centre (Artec) in 1989.
He is currently working with Creative London on a series of initiatives to encourage
growth in London digital media industries including the London Games Festival and a
new A/V market, Rights Lab, as well as the pioneering BBC Innovation Labs.
www.unexpectedmedia.com
www.creativelondon.org.uk
http://open.bbc.co.uk/labs/
How can I register?
Registration fees for this event are £60/£20 concessions. Single day fees of
£35/£10 are also available for those that are unable to attend both days. Visit
http://creem.dmu.ac.uk/CreativityConversation/index.htm for full info and
registration forms. We accept Visa, Mastercard, and Switch payments, as well
as cheques and invoiced payments from companies providing a purchase
order number. VAT receipts are available on request.
NB. A condition of registration is that you agree to being recorded on audio
and video as a participant of the event and allow the recording to be
distributed via the Web.
What is included in the fees?
The registration fee will cover refreshments and lunch for the two days, an
evening drinks reception before dinner on the first day, as well as the
materials needed for the workshops and events. You will also receive a
symposium bag. Please note that the fee does not include the dinner itself or
accommodation. Details of a selection of hotels as well as DMU halls of
residence can be found at the symposium website.
How can I prepare for the symposium?
Prior to the symposium we shall be running an online conversation that you
can use to define the topics you would like to discuss with colleagues either in
the floating sessions or during the rest of the event. This will also give you the
opportunity to familiarise themselves with others attending before the event
opens, allowing for a more productive two days.
What else is there to do in Leicester?
Leicester is a vibrant multicultural centre that places a large emphasis on
creativity. There is a lively music scene as well as several small annual film
festivals and a wide range of galleries and museums. You will be informed of
events occurring around the city and county during the time you spend in
Leicester should you wish to bring anyone along with you, or simply fancy
having a look around after dinner.
Where can I find out more?
More information is available on the symposium website at
http://creem.dmu.ac.uk/CreativityConversation/index.htm
You can also email tcorah@dmu.ac.uk