Intercultural Creativity

OBJECTIVES
Students will be introduced to concepts from the contemporary discourse of creativity, cultural practices, and cultural development strategies which are formed at the intersection of survival practice needs and European cultural development strategies.
Students will learn about and understand the initiatives to promote the development of the cultural and creative sectors through various European project mechanisms (e.g. Creative Europe, Horizon, Interreg) and their implications for the sustainable development policies of border and intercultural communities.

COMPETENCIES
Students will investigate the creative activities of the cultural and creative sector through research and experiential learning (eg cultural heritage, cultural tourism, amateur activities, etc.), which represent important identification and development opportunities in overcoming multilingual and multicultural challenges.
Students will identify and learn the ways of planning, designing, implementing, managing various cultural practices in the field.
Students will strengthen their critical thinking skills and develop as critical thinkers by conducting constructive discussions.
Students will be able to debate the advantages, disadvantages, obstacles, and opportunities for creative activities in the context of survival strategies, fashion flies, different historical contexts, socio-political and economic spheres of influence (socialism, capitalism, neoliberalism), developmental policies (e.g., sustainable development), and political concepts (inclusive society, active citizenship, etc.).
Students’ ability to transfer knowledge to new situations and to design new problems related to culture, creativity, and sustainable development will be encouraged.

There are no enrolment or degree requirements for the course Intercultural Creativity.

The course is linked to the following courses:
Multilingualism, Literature and Creativity from an Intercultural Perspective, and Heritage between Interculturality, Equality and Sustainability.

Creativity is an important cultural practice that is the result of human adaptations to natural conditions, broader socio-political, economic and technological processes and practices, political development strategies and concepts. It shapes individual and community experience, value systems, identification practices, and symbols. Cultural uniqueness and social and cultural capital are formed through creativity, providing the basis for sustainable development in cross-border and intercultural communities.

The course will be broken down into the following parts:
Incorporating creativity into the broader concept of sustainable development of cross-border and intercultural contexts.
Introduction to the basic concepts related to the contemporary discourse of creativity (individual and social creativity, the creative class, creative industries and the creative city/village).
To examine different creative practices in the field that have contributed to the creative, innovative and sustainable collaboration with and integration of local populations into cross-border and intercultural landscapes and regions.
To obtain relevant data on key practices through the use of the ethnographic methods (interviews, participant observation, discussion evenings, etc.).
To conduct constructive debates using critical thinking methods (analysis, evaluation, argumentation, reflection, self-reflection, use of knowledge) on the role of individuals in creativity and in the development of cultural products with social, cultural and economic added value, as well as on the social impact of creativity in communities.
To organize invited lectures on creativity in other parts of Slovenia and abroad.

Practices identified within the cultural and creative sectors by the Creative Europe program will form the basis of critical thinking and the selection of cultural practices. Focus will include architecture, advertising, design and visual arts, cultural heritage, archival and library activities, books, cultural and artistic education, music, performing and intermedia arts, media, software and games, film and audiovisual activities, cultural tourism and other artistic creation.

Students:
learn and understand the basic concepts related to the development of the cultural and creative sectors, creative activities, the use of culture for individual, social, cultural and economic development;
acquire a broad knowledge of creative activities, their advantages, disadvantages and obstacles to the development of society, living environment and community in cross-border areas;
acquire a broad knowledge of current issues in the application (but also misuse) of cultural practices in different socio-political systems and economic policies;
develop critical thinking skills that enable him/her to reflect in-depth on current development issues and will know how to apply these;
develop skills of argumentation and knowledge application in new situations;
develop skills of argumentation and developing their own thinking based on an analysis of literature, good and not-so-good practices, scientific views, and other resources that are necessary for in-depth research and learning;
cultivate a creative-thinking and communication-based approach to a research topic that demonstrates a critical attitude towards scientific work and the environment;
are aware of the importance of the development of the humanities and their role in the development of sustainable communities;
know how to apply concepts related to the development of culture, multiculturalism, and creativity in addressing contemporary development challenges;
independently connect various concepts and definitions in the humanities to development opportunities and socio-political contexts in a particular historical period and multicultural and cross-border context.

• SERTIĆ, Irena, BUBAŠ, Josipa, STEINBOCK, Kristina, PURG, Peter, PARAMON, Ramon. PAIC framework: Participatory Art Scenario and Narrative". V: SERTIĆ, Irena (ur.). PAIC, participatory art for invisible communities. Zagreb: Omnimedia, 2018. Str. 98-109. ISBN 953-95119-1-7. E-version Catalogue
• AHMED, Sara: The Cultural Politics of Emotion. New York in London: Routledge, 2004. Catalogue
• LABADI, Sophia., in GOULD, Peter. G. (2015). Heritage, community, economics. V: Meskell, L., Global heritage: A reader, str. 196–216. Chichester, Malden in Oxford, Wiley Blackwell. Catalogue
• POLJAK ISTENIČ, Saša. (2017): Creativity: An introduction to popular concepts, topics, and discussions / Ustvarjalnost: Uvod v razširjene koncepte, teme in razprave. Traditiones, 46(1–2), str. 103–125. E-version
• FAKIN BAJEC, Jasna. Procesi ustvarjanja kulturne dediščine: na razpotju med neoliberalizmom in prostovoljstvom v okviru dediščinskih društev. Etnolog: glasnik Slovenskega etnografskega muzeja. [Nova vrsta], 30/81, 2020b, 69–88. E-version
• PURG, Peter, CACCIATORE, Silvia, ČUČEK GERBEC, Jernej. Establishing ecosystems for disruptive innovation by cross-fertilizing entrepreneurship and the arts. Creative industries journal, ISSN 1751-0694, 2021, vol. , iss. , str. 1-31, doi: 10.1080/17510694.2021.1969804. E-version
• PURG, Peter, ŠIROK, Klemen, BRASIL, Daniela. The transformative impact of blended mobility courses. The International Journal of Art & Design Education, ISSN 1476-8062, 2018, vol. 37, iss. 2, str. 187-198, doi: 10.1111/jade.12101.
• KULTURNO-kreativni imperativ : razsežnost in potencial kulturnega in kreativnega sektorja v Sloveniji : povzetki, ključna dognanja in interpretacija rezultatov iz dokumenta Statistična analiza stanja kulturnega in kreativnega sektorja v Sloveniji 2008-2017 avtorjev Nike Murovec, Damjana Kavaša in Tjaše Bartolj z Inštituta za ekonomska raziskovanja / uredila Barbara Predan. - Ljubljana : Center za Kreativnost (CZK), Muzej za arhitekturo in oblikovanje, 2020 E-version

• Active participation in field work and discussions 60 %
• Essay 40 %

// Assoc. Prof. Peter Purg, PhD currently leads the New Media module in the Digital//Media Arts and Practices graduate//postgraduate programme at the School of Arts, University of Nova Gorica, where he acts as Associate Professor, projects coordinator as well as expert across realms of digital culture and media. Since December 2021 he is Dean of the School of Humanities. Having obtained a PhD in media art, communication science and literary studies from the University of Erfurt (Germany), his scientific inquiries now include media arts pedagogy, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation, media art and media ecology. His artistic interests range from (lecture) performances and intermedia installations to public-space interventions as well as participatory creative processes. He is active in the field of cultural and higher education policymaking and quality assurance.