Think Diverse - 2021-2023
- Scope
- Objectives
- Results
- Experimentation
- European networks
- French networks
- Publications & Presentations
I. Scope
Cultivating creativity through innovative teaching methods allows young adults to develop creative qualities to face everyday problems, allowing them to flourish by improving their skills for future success.
Professionals involved in adult education, and especially young adults, need tools to enable them to think differently and develop creative thinking.
There are many theories about creativity. Some psychologists believe that it stems from unconscious impulses. Other researchers consider it a syndrome or complex (Runco & Saka-moto, 1999). Finally, researchers attribute it to personal qualities (Sternberg 1999).
What might be the most effective vision of creativity for adult education? Two hypotheses are suggested: the first is that creativity must be developed (Fryer, 1996; Parnes, 1963; Torrance, 1963; Torrance and Myers, 1970); the second is that all individuals have creative potential (Craft, 2001a; Esquire, 2001a). (Craft, 2001a; Esquivel, 1995; Feldman and Benjamin, 2006; NACCCE, 1999).
Creativity has a multidimensional and developmental structure. It is characterized by life-long evolutionary change. With the social, economic and technological changes that began in the 1990s, there has been an increasing focus on developing creativity (Craft, 2001b; Shaheen, 2010), which is considered as a survival skill for success in life (NACCCE, 1999). Csikszentmihalyi says that while creativity may have been a luxury for some in the Renaissance, it is now a necessity for everyone.
Thus, the relationship between creativity and education becomes fundamental. In a world of ever-accelerating and constant change, it is no longer enough to promote personal development and self-fulfilment, but it becomes essential to equip young adults with a set of skills that will be useful for their future, in particular to develop their creative potential.
Think Diverse ! (2021-2023) is led by the Italian consortium Eurosviluppo and brings together 3 countries: Italy (Eurosviluppo, Skill up & Trastevere), France (iriv & LIRAC), and Spain (Neotalentway & Curvapolar) ; it brings together experts from Education and lifelong learning and cultural or artistic organisations
II. Objectives
The project aims to design and test a training model with innovative methodologies designed to develop and promote creativity. The Diverse Think aims to offer training on the theme of creativity in order to enhance this skill to accompany young people in their professional career.
Public- The project is aimed primarily at trainers and practitioners of social innovation who wish to introduce diversity into their adult education; they need new methods and quality tools. Social workers need to be able to teach differently with different groups of people.
The Think Diverse also wants to offer young people under 35, who do not really have any meaning in their lives, a toolkit to develop a new approach to diversity and open an innovative way of education , which will help foster social inclusion. The idea is to take a diverse group of learners and train them through an original toolkit that uses an artistic approach to train others.
Theoretical background - The creative approach has been theorized by several researchers, notably in psychology. A list of papers written by key researchers is provided in the bibliography. The creative modules offered by the Italian partner (IO1) are directly inspired by Epstein’s Inventory of Creativity Skills for the Individual (Robert Epstein, 1996).
In two studies with more than 300 participants, the Epstein Creativity Competencies Inventory for Individuals (ECCI-i) proved to be a reliable measurement instrument. In the first of these studies, the test also proved to be a valid predictor of 2 measures of creative expression. The test is derived from empirical research on the creative process in individuals, which suggests that creative expression can be accelerated by strengthening one of four measurable and teachable skills: capture (preserving new ideas as they come), challenging (taking on difficult tasks), expanding (seeking knowledge and skills outside of current areas of expertise) and surrounding (to look for new stimuli or combinations of stimuli). In the second study, training these skills improved test scores and resulted in a significant increase in creative output.
III. Results
Result 1 (IO1) => 3 “Creative modules” => videos are produced and a guide (edited by the iriv) to be able to lead creative workshops offered in person or online. Videos were made by:
1- CurvaPolar for Spain on the topic of mental health- vidéo CurvaPolar
2- the Lirac for France on the theme of cultural diversity and religion- vidéo Lirac
3- Tevere Art Gallery on the theme of gender diversity and sexual orientation - Vidéo TAG
Result 2 ( IO2 )=> evaluation of the toolkit based on an experiment with professionals accompanying young people and youth under 35 who will test the toolkit involved in creative activities associated with the project. The experiment was carried out
1- in Spain- by Neotalentway with Curva Polar-
2- in France- by iriv with the Lirac-
3- in Italy- by Skill up with Tevere Art Gallery-
Result 3 (IO3) => IRIV prepares a handbook on managing diversity entitled "Think Diverse - my creativity to defend diversity"; contributions from artistic partners are presented in the practical part, in addition to the presentation of their educational strategies already detailed in the guide (IO1)
Here is the final manual edited by iriv with Neotalentway and Skill Up
French version creativity & diversity manual, April 2023
English version
IV. Experimentation
In France, iriv has joined forces with LIRAC, an association for theatrical improvisation founded in 2003.
The French partners have joined their networks to organize a series of artistic workshops to present the approach of Think Diverse which uses creative pedagogy to defend diversity among professionals working with young people (aged 18-35).
The complementarity of profiles is the originality and innovation of the project Think Diverse, in France, the partner "Education and lifelong learning" is the iriv and the artistic partner Lirac. The experiment was possible thanks to the close collaboration between the two French partners who have put their networks together, built together the educational materials to present the project to professionals (33 associates between May and November 2022) and young people (38 associates in October 2022 thanks to the partnership of Zup de Co, in addition to the young people associated by Lirac to make the video and collect testimonies from young college students living and studying in the Val d'Oise).
For the final part (diversity management manual and final conference), iriv has partnered with the Faisceau convergent association, created in 2018, to organise a short film festival on diversity "at 360°" each year. The president of iriv and her trainees actively participated in the 2023 edition of the festival, which took place at the Mairie des Mureaux.
V. European networks
VI. French networks
French networks (excluding French partners) that have been associated
1- Cité des Métiers- one of the partner associations, GRDR, has actively participated in the experimentation of creative modules with professionals
2- Zup de Co- an association of support to the schooling has allowed the experimentation of creative modules with young people aged 18 to 25, many of whom were volunteers for the association with young college students
3- Faisceau convergent- an association created in 2018 to propose an annual festival of short films on diversity participated in the experimental sessions at the Cité des métiers and the final conference (Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie) by allowing the screening of award-winning short films for the 2023 edition
VII. Publications & Presentations
Several publications
1- a practical guide edited by iriv
2- a set of videos designed by the artistic partners plus videos designed by iriv's team (final publication)
3- a diversity management manual edited by iriv
4- a French weblog allowing access to the videos relayed by the French team - https://think-diverse-france.blogspot.com/p/publications.html
5- Newsletters published by the European partners - each partner was in charge of one issue
← Back
