Creativity theory has come of age with new work by Sir Ken Robinson, Keith Sawyer, Marc Runco and Daniel Pink, among others. Increasingly, educators, community organizers, therapists and others are adding their voices to this exciting conversation -- exploring what creativity is, how people develop as creative agents of social change, and methods for fostering the creative process.
Much has been discovered about the powerful role of play, performance, dance, theatre and improvisation in nourishing creativity. Still, there remains a gap between these discoveries and what transpires day-to-day in our schools, organizations and workplaces. How do we address this gap? What can we do to advance the capacity of ordinary people to build environments where everyday creativity can thrive?
In this five-week experiment in online creative conversation led by Gwen Lowenheim, we combine the latest discoveries in creativity and play theory with the practical-playful activity of building the conversational group. Gwen draws upon her experience in building the All Stars Project / East Side Institute development community to introduce a dialectical practice for inspiring creative community. In this lively online discussion, participants are invited to share and collectively advance their work.
Gwen Lowenheim is a long-time community organizer, educator/activist and founder/director of The Snaps Project, an educational consulting firm. She trains educators who work with adults and children in a social therapeutic, performance-based learning approach that brings creativity and innovation into the classroom. She completed her postgraduate studies in Social Therapy and co-founded the Boston Social Therapy Group, before relocating to NYC. Her popular online courses draw dozens of creative conversationalists from desktops around the globe.
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