Creativity Forum

Everybody needs creativity to cope with a rapidly changing living, studying and working environment. Creativity assists in the acquisition of new knowledge and the use of existing knowledge more effectively; it enables one to look at problems from a different angle and resolve them. It is the creative and unusual ideas and personalities that inspire new solutions, bringing forth novel products and services. These, in turn, contribute to a sustainable and more even development in the Baltic Sea region, something very much in the interests of the Nordic and Baltic countries.

To deconstruct creative teaching and creativity as such, as well as to encourage its practical adoption, in 2012, we launched an international creativity forum which for the first time was carried out under the theme "Creativity changes the world" and the next year under the theme "Creativity stimulates the senses". The theme for the forum was 2014 "Creative self-expression". Alarming events in the world encouraged us to give more attention to creating a sense of security through creativity. Studies of research (Rotenberg, 1990; Carlsson, 2002; Runco, 2007) confirm that strong anxiety and fear can stop a person from thinking creatively and curb their creative activities as a whole.

Forums targeted at teachers, school directors, coordinators of extracurricular activities, educational and cultural officials have included presentations of a theoretical nature as well as creative studios/workshops with a hands-on approach. The forums have been held in inspiring places contributing to concentration and creativity: in 2012 on Naissaar Island, 2013 in Käsmu, 2014 in Narva on the Estonian-Russian border, and 2015 in Illuka, Ida-Viru County.

The event has always been supported by our highly valued partners: the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Communication of the Republic of Estonia, the embassies and culture institutes of all five Nordic countries in Estonia, etc.

Visit our image gallery to view pictures from the forums.

Articles about forums

• Õpetajate Leht: Creativity versus education
• Põhjarannik: Teachers encouraged to make fools of themselves at creativity forum in Illuka
• Creativity forum 2015: 'Biophilia' unites creativity and natural sciences at all levels of education'Biophilia' unites creativity and natural sciences at all levels of education
• Creativity forum 2014: academic success of students linked to creativity and empathy of teachers
• Eha Vain: Writing – the art of creating
• Paul Collard: it is important how a subject is taught, not what is taught
• Eha Vain: "What boosts creativity? Dancing maths!"
• Matthias Matthiasson to the Estonian daily Postimees: We are not turning boys into girls