The course is divided into three different chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of
creativity and innovation. Together with academic, artistic and industry experts and
communities, we will explore a variety of concepts, terminologies, and contexts of creativity
and innovation and engage in discussions. We will visit relevant sites to experience how
different notions of creativity and innovation are applied in the field.
Chapter 1
The first chapter aims to introduce candidates to the terminologies surrounding creativity and innovation and to how these terms are often co-opted and instrumentalized within neo-liberal frameworks. We will critically examine alternative vocabularies to describe artistic and creative practice and the innovative contributes they make, expanding our horizon beyond the West towards the Global South. Together, we will define our own terms and concepts, fostering a more inclusive understanding of creativity and innovation.
Chapter 2
The second chapter focuses on the different contexts in which creativity and innovation are applied and advanced. We will explore both mainstream cultural and subcultural/alternative contexts in which discourses and practices of creativity and innovation are shaped. In mainstream contexts, such as design studios or art galleries, creativity is often seen as a process that leads to commercially viable products or ideas. In subcultural and alternative contexts, creativity is often defined by its authenticity or resistance to mainstream norms, and closely related to the expression of identity and community values.
During chapter 2 of the module, we will visit places and speak to people on both sides of this divide and zoom in on practices that move, often out of necessity, between them.
Chapter 3
In the final chapter of the module, the focus will shift back to the PD-research. PD- candidates will reflect on their own practices and examine how they position themselves within the broader discourses and practices of creativity and innovation. This chapter will focus on understanding the role (dimension) of an innovator within the Professional Doctorate trajectory. The PD-candidates will critically analyze their professional experiences as an innovator, drawing connections between the theoretical concepts discussed in previous chapters and their practical applications. By engaging in self-reflection and peer discussions, the candidates will identify their contributions to discourses and practices of creativity and innovation and how they navigate the interplay between mainstream and alternative contexts in which they are applied and advanced.
Learning Goals:
The module falls within the learning goal ‘Co-Creating Innovations’ and aligns with the ‘Innovator’-dimension (role) of the PD.
• Understand current and advanced discourses and practices of artistic and creative innovation.
• Being capable of critical reflection on (conventional) innovation discourse, and of
fostering the development of alternative terminologies, vocabularies and conceptions of creativity and innovation.
• Being able to apply (co)creative and innovative practices and discourses to one’s own research project.