The Creative Minds project has completed the first steps towards the implementation of 16 pilot creative learning programmes in schools

04. March 2024

On Tuesday, 27 February 2024, the first of a series of workshops of the Creative Minds project took place in České Budějovice for all artists, creatives and creators from the South Bohemia Region. Creative Minds is a project of České Budějovice - European Capital of Culture 2028, which aims to connect the artistic community with education so that artists together with teachers can open up new possibilities, opportunities and paths for children and stimulate the development of their creativity, creative and critical thinking - teaching them to see beyond the horizon. Under the guidance of Katarina Kalivodova, Director of the Society for Creativity in Education, performer and university teacher, participants had the opportunity to learn about the methods and principles of creative learning and discuss what schools should look like in the 21st century and what skills and abilities they can bring to the educational process.

We live in a dynamic and rapidly changing world where the young generation is expected to be able to address complex social, economic and environmental issues and problems and to respond flexibly to changing environments and conditions. Creativity and the ability to think creatively, design and innovatively are not only useful, but essential life skills for children, important for their future employment and success. Artists and creatives have a unique ability to see the world from different perspectives and can pass this ability on.

The workshop was the first step towards the implementation of 16 pilot programmes of creative learning in schools in the South Bohemia Region, which will take place in April and May. The aim is to involve artists directly in the educational process, where they can interact directly with pupils and pass on their experience and inspiration. The Creative Minds project is an open call for all those who want to contribute to the cultivation of creative thinking in education. It is an opportunity for artists, makers and creatives to become part of a larger movement to promote creativity as one of the key competences for the 21st century.

Tomáš Novotný, curator and coordinator of the Creative Minds project, expressed his enthusiasm for the diversity and energy that the workshop participants brought. He stressed the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation and sharing of experiences as the key to further development of the project. "It is of utmost importance that this community of creatives continues to develop and that their rich creative potential is used to enrich and transform the educational paradigm," said Novotný.

The Creative Minds project opens the door to a world where creativity, art and education go hand in hand.