Calling all Creativity Researchers!

The 3rd UK Creativity Researchers’ Conference will take place on the 22nd May 2019 throughout the Foster Lecture Theatres, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Preston, UK.

Over the past 3 years, this conference has fast become an important date for all those interested in the study of creativity (both in the UK and further afield). From the outset, our aim has been to unite, share skills and ideas, build productive collaborations, and ultimately boost both the national and international impact of creativity research.

This one-day conference will feature keynote speaker Jonathan Plucker, Professor of Talent Development at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, US). Professor Plucker’s research examines creativity and intelligence, education policy, and talent development. As an eminent figure within the field of creativity research, we are delighted to have such an esteemed guest travelling from the US to our conference in the UK. His keynote is entitled “Creativity Confuses Me: Perplexing Questions About a Complex Construct”. During this talk, he will review recent developments and identify the “major unknowns” in need of additional attention.

The conference will also feature selected podium presentations, posters, a grand finale tête-à-tête with Richard Madden (Group Strategy Director for the award-winning branding agency www.bartleboglehegarty.com) and Prof. Plucker, refreshments, networking opportunities and a working lunch. For more information, keep visiting this site as we work towards the 22nd May 2019.

The economy and culture of the 21st century has a tremendous need for creative talent. Whether one works in manufacturing, government, education, or the service industry, there is always a shortage of creatively talented people. Research on creativity, especially on how to foster and assess it, has grown tremendously over the past 30 years, especially in the areas of theory development, assessment, and interventions. Yet this work has also led to new challenges, first among them why all this work has had arguably limited impact on practice. During this talk we will review these recent developments and identify the “major unknowns” in need of additional attention.

Jonathan Plucker is the Julian C. Stanley Endowed Professor of Talent Development at Johns Hopkins University, where he works in the Center for Talented Youth and School of Education. His research examines creativity and intelligence, education policy, and talent development. Recent books include Excellence Gaps in Education with Scott Peters, From Giftedness to Gifted Education with Anne Rinn and Matt Makel, Intelligence 101 with Amber Esping, and Creativity and Innovation. Prof. Plucker is the recipient of the 2012 Arnheim Award for Outstanding Achievement from the American Psychological Association and 2013 Distinguished Scholar Award from the National Association for Gifted Children. He is president-elect of NAGC.

The study of creativity has many rich areas for exploration. Whether research is focused on the Creative Person, Process, Product or Press; Big C, Pro C, Little c, mini c or Core Creativity, and many more topics and concepts, the UK Creativity Researchers’ Conference is the place to share your insights on this important topic. We welcome all creativity researchers, from all disciplines and wherever they call their home. Come and join us!

In addition to our keynote by Prof. Jonathan Plucker at the start of the conference and our grand finale tête-à-tête, there will be eleven confirmed speakers during the day. The titles of these presentations are as follows (in alphabetical order, see abstracts for details):

An interactive exploration of everyday creativity and the results of an evaluation of an online participatory arts project for common mental health disorders. Rachel H. Tribe, (University College London) and co-authors Jemima Frankel (64 Million Artists), Vyv Huddy, (University of Sheffield), Katrina Scrior and Kat Alcock (University College London)

Antecedents of divergent and malevolent thinking: Exploring psychopathy and openness-to-experience. Dr Mark Batey (Manchester Metropolitan University Business School) and co-authors David Hughes, Annie Moseley, Adrian Furnham, Courtney Owens

Big C and diversity. Dr Gillian Hill (University of Buckingham)

Creative parallels east and west? Cross-cultural creativity in the 21st century. Dr Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas (University of the Arts London)

Creativity by any other Name. Thomas Colin (Plymouth University)

Creativity in practice: An ecological phenomenon.Prof. Norman Jackson (from Creative Academic)

‘Dear J. P. Guilford …’: A letter of protest at the exclusion of artists in your 1950 address. Claudia Davidson (University of Surrey)

Exploring the cognitive size, structure and life of ideas using sticky notes. Prof. Bo Christensen (Copenhagen Business School) and co-author Morten Friis-Olivarius

Future work and creativity: A study of employers’ interpretation of creativity in the workplace and the implications for student learning. Elaine Clarke (Aston University) and co-author C. J. Wilson

How do creative individuals experience and cope with the process of being creative within an organisation? Diane Herbert (Buckinghamshire New University)

Profiles of originality: A uniqueness index built for divergent exploration of any given prompt. Dr Garrett J Jaeger (LEGO Foundation) and co-author Zachary C. Burns

 

We also have an excellent selection of poster presentations for viewing and discussion (See abstracts menu for further details). Confirmed titles are as follows (in alphabetical order of the first author):

Asquith (Sarah), Leeds Beckett University, with Anna Abraham and Suzie Wang: The relationship between creativity and wellbeing in young people

Bazhydai (Marina), Lancaster University, with Marina Bazhydai, Priya Silverstein, Hannah Thomas, Eugenio Parise, and Gert Westermann: Creativity manifestations in early childhood: explorative and innovative actions during social learning

Buchalter (Eitan), Global Governance Institute, with Baptiste Barbot: Nurturing Creativity Amongst School Students

Carruthers (Lindsey), Edinburgh Napier University, with Steven Campbell, and Kate Molyneaux: Optimising the Unusual Uses Test

Carver (Fiona), Edinburgh Napier University: A randomised controlled experimental study to explore whether and to what extent positive emotions (PE) cause novel or creative thoughts (creativity) via broadened awareness in student nurses: pilot study

Cogdell-Brooke (Lucy), University of Surrey, with Hannah Thompson and Paul Sowden: Will deficits in executive control in stroke aphasia impact creative thinking?

Colin (Thomas), Plymouth University, with Tony Belpaeme: Creative Insight in Simulated Animals

Darby (Gerard), University of Central Lancashire: The requisite climate for group creativity training and how it is developed

Guo (Jiajun), East China Normal University, with Ying Ge and Weiguo Pang: The underlying cognitive mechanisms of the rater effect in creativity assessment: the role of perceived semantic distance and similarity mapping.

Hallam (Leslie), Lancaster University: Doing Creativity: Learnings from the Dark Arts

Ikoniadou (Maria), University of Central Lancashire, with Adam Mead: Ways of unlearning creativity in art and design pedagogy

Levstek (Maruša), University of Sussex (School of Psychology), with Robin Banerjee: Creative arts and young people at risk

Martin (Clare), University of Winchester, with Paul Sowden, Tim Gamble and Jonathan Nelson: Digital and Non-Digital Creative Ideation and Evaluation in an Everyday Creativity Task

Rose (Sarah), Staffordshire University, with Elena Hoika: Assessing Creativity Skills in Young Children

Siamptani (Mala), University of Central Lancashire: A review on the current use of digital technology in design.

Spencer (Emily), Edinburgh Napier University, with Lindsey Carruthers: Creativity and emotion: an investigation into the effects of affect on divergent-thinking performance

Strange (Will), Arts University Bournemouth: Dazzle Chess – Modelmaking skills as interdisciplinary practice.

Threadgold (Emma), University of Central Lancashire, with John E Marsh and Linden J Ball: Normative Data for 84 UK English Rebus Puzzles

Toivainen (Teemu), Goldsmiths, University of London, with Bonamy R. Oliver and Yulia Kovas: Intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between creativity at age 9 and educational achievement at age 16

van Broekhoven (Kim), Maastricht University, with Barbara Belfi, Ian Hocking and Rolf van der Velden: Fostering University Students Creative Problem-Solving Skills with a Domain-Specific Training Intervention: Effects on Idea Generation and Idea Evaluation

White (Tom), University of Birmingham: (Rigorous) Imagination: Applying contemporary metaphor theory to the production of creative texts

Whitten (Shannon), University of Central Florida, with Obinna Oguike, McKayla Tawney, Jules Laird Juli Viciana and Melodie Rivera: Can a Creative Task Alleviate Anxiety and Enhance Academic Performance?

Wilson (Chris), Aston University: Building and defending islands in the sea: Creativity in Higher Education

 

Tête-à-tête

Our grand finale for the conference is something we like to call a tête-à-tête – two experts from different sides of the world of creativity in an improvisational discussion:

• Creativity Academia/Researcher tête-à-tête with Creativity Industry/Practitioner
  • Dichotomies?
  • Polarities?
  • Synergies?

…you get the idea!

Our illustrious guests for the tête-à-tête will include a return to the stage for Prof. Jonathan Plucker. As mentioned in the keynote details, Prof. Plucker is the Julian C. Stanley Endowed Professor of Talent Development at Johns Hopkins University, where he works in the Center for Talented Youth and School of Education. His research examines creativity and intelligence, education policy, and talent development. Recent books include Excellence Gaps in Education with Scott Peters, From Giftedness to Gifted Education with Anne Rinn and Matt Makel, Intelligence 101 with Amber Esping, and Creativity and Innovation. Prof. Plucker is the recipient of the 2012 Arnheim Award for Outstanding Achievement from the American Psychological Association and 2013 Distinguished Scholar Award from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). He is president-elect of NAGC.

We will also introduce to the stage Mr Richard Madden, Group Strategy Director for the award-winning branding agency www.bartleboglehegarty.com (with clients such as Nike, Google, Ikea, and Audi … to name a few).

 

As each of our previous UK Creativity Researchers’ conferences has achieved a full capacity of delegates, it is advisable to register early to secure your place.

The conference fee is £60 for the day and includes a working lunch and refreshments, in addition to plenty of novel and meaningful discussions throughout the day.

To secure your place register via the link below:

https://www.uclan.ac.uk/venue-hire/creativity-researchers-conference-2019.php