Come and join leading lights from Northern Ireland, UK and Europe, to discuss and debate the key issues about the importance of creativity and innovation for our economy and our society.
If you want a dialogue with those who have experience in creating and innovating – in the arts and culture, in education, in the creative industries, in business, this is the place to be.
Speakers and panellists from across the UK - keynote from Feargal Sharkey, CEO of UK Music, and panel discussions with creative practitioners, representatives from the business sector , educators, researchers and policy makers.
An amazing array of 12 workshop and presentation sessions where you will be stimulated and challenged – led by people such as Baba Israel, New York hip hop emcee, poet and beatboxer who now runs Contact Theatre in Manchester; Cathy Hunt from Australia who will present the development of Australian indigenous art; Stephen Feber who will be creative about the amazing new Heartlands development project in Cornwall; Marek Banczyk who has worked on a development strategy for Poznan, a “second city” in Poland; Jan Runge, one of the authors of the recent “Creativity in Europe” report; Venu Dhupa who will challenge us on our understanding of what these words mean; Sharon Taylor who will look at the relationships between creative professionals in schools; Raj Isar who will take examine some of the assumptions sometimes made about the successes and failures in this area; and Pia Alebrad from TILLT in Sweden which works on projects where artists are based in everyday workplaces.

This event aims to attract artists and practitioners, representatives from organizations in the arts, culture, the creative industries, and business; decision makers from government at local, regional and national level, and from key economic and social development agencies and funding bodies.

Register now at www.createninnovate.eu

And a great opportunity to find out more about Belfast – the event will be held in the W5 whowhatwherewhenwhy discovery & innovation centre overlooking the Titanic quarter where the famous ship was built; the conference opening reception will be at Stormont, home of the NI Assembly government, the conference dinner will be at the newly refurbished Ulster Museum, and there will be optional tours of the creative industries and other recent developments in Belfast.

A major event for the European Year for Creativity and Innovation 2009, presented with the support of the Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure of Northern Ireland.