Creative Action Week Create! – a point of departure for a creative Latvia

In our time, the sustainable growth and well-being of society is significantly affected by the global paradigm change in the field of economics – the reorientation from resource-consuming industry to creative industry. Its potential and competitiveness is directly based on creativity, imagination, intuition – such properties, which are developed by culture, education, public attitude and the values prevailing in the society.

Based on the experience of the Creativity Week organised in 2010, the main aim of which was to update the matters regarding the role of creativity and versatile expressions in  the current environment, while taking into account  favourable pre-requisites for the development of a creative and cultural industry sector, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and the British Council along with  their collaboration partners are organising the Creative Action Week “Create!” from 12 until 18 March 2012 to take the next step and move on from understanding to action.

The aim of the Creative Action Week “Create!” is

• to show the creative potential, experience, and achievements of Latvia,
• as well as to foster understanding and interest in the sector of creative and cultural industries, education promoting creativity, innovations and knowledge-based economy, and creative administration,
• and trans/cross-sectoral  link formation and strengthening for the harmonious development of creativity and growth of the individual and the state

The initiators of the Creative Action Week are the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and the British Council, while the number of strategic partners has increased considerably and now includes the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MEPRG), Ministry of Economics (ME), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Latvian National Commission for UNESCO (LNC UNESCO), Centre for Culture Education and Non-material Heritage (CCENMH), Latvian Institute (LI), Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (IDAL), State Chancellery, as well as the Foundation Riga 2014.

The activities during the Creative Action Week “Create!” will include five major thematic fields, emphasising the specific features in each field and their interdependency:

• creative government

A Creative government must find methods for communicating and implementing strategies that combine existing experience, skills, today’s needs and future potential;

• creative education

In the process of creative education, people unleash their skills to find new solutions to various issues;

• creative entrepreneurship

Creative economics proposes the need for new skills and approaches to enable the conversion creativity and talents into entrepreneurship activities;

• creative regions

A creative municipality can provide its region with a better quality of life and work conditions  and an environment offering every inhabitant the opportunity to realise his/her ideas. The consideration of creativity and talent by the administration, decision-making and  entrepreneurial activities are the basis for  job creation and of increased level of life. Creative thinking and  capable local government are the cornerstones of national development.

• creative identity

Creative identity combines the core values of, openness, and flexible manner of thinking.

The balance between growth and sustainability, the needs of an individual and the society, can be found by walking on as yet untrodden paths, by uniting efforts and looking at the world through the prism of open minds and hearts, and this will be promoted during the Creative Action Week “Create!”.

The approaches, which will help everyone find their place during this week, include dynamic creative activity, moving from traditions through the spectrum of today’s reality towards future vision and development, openness to diversity, incl., locations, the age of participants, what form the activity will take, etc., enabling the combination of needs, skills, and ideas, resulting in growth and the harmonious development of people, trans/cross-sectoral links, and of the state. This approach also includes pragmatic aspects – the role of creativity in improving functionality, usefulness, and efficiency of processes and results, discovering and using innovations, creative contents in any field of activity, which promote joint responsibility, the well-being and comfort of people, the use of local resources for harmonious development of regions, and sustainability at all levels.

Within the framework of the week, events will take place organised by the leading partners and activities organised by the collaboration institutions, representatives of public and non-governmental sector, or indeed anybody who is interested, anywhere in Latvia.

The week will contribute significantly to the creation of the platform of creative Latvia and to the laying of foundations for lasting further development.

Each of us is a creative being, and we all are radiant in this creativity! You, me, the minister, publisher, farmer, book illustrator, civil servant, school student, entrepreneur, teacher, no matter what field, position,  age or relationship status, anywhere in Latvia.

We are creative! And we will start working together to be what we truly are – vigorous and talented.

Let us begin! Together!

Create!