Creative Futures 2004

Introduction by Tom ShakespeareUniversity of Newcastle

www.peals.ncl.ac.uk

Where can we find creativity?

• “Knowledge economy” – demands creativity and innovation in all sectors

• Danger of “two cultures” – science denigrated, culturally marginalised

• Areas of overlap e.g. creative industries: digital, games etce.g. psychology: minds and brains

• Meeting point of art and science offers richest opportunities?

• Creativity is a potential for all, not the privilege of a few

Science and art parallels

• Genius – prickly, obsessive, difficult• Hard work – tedious, technical• Asking fundamental questions – why, how,

what• Peer community sets criteria, ascribes

value• Public may not understand or appreciate• Need to open up to wider scrutiny and

involvement

Prof. Lewis Wolpert distinguishes science and art

• One correct answer• Science is collective

and objective• No room for feelings• Genius only speeds

up discovery• “Art has contributed

virtually nothing to science”

• No correct answer• Art is individualist and

subjective• Personal viewpoints• Genius is central to

achievement• Can be influenced by

science

BUT

“Most of the leaps forward in science are profoundly creative”

Professor David Eastwood (AHRB CEO)

• Identifying new problems• Seeing things in a new way• Making connections• Using metaphors and symbols• Thinking out of the box• Breaking the rules• Taking risks• Inspiration

“I turned my chair to the fire and dozed. Again the atoms were gambolling before my eyes. This time the smaller groups kept modestly to the background. My mental eye, rendered more acute by repeated vision of this kind, could not distinguish larger structures, of manifold conformation; long rows, sometimes more closely fitted together; all twining and twisting in snakelike motion. But look! What was that? One of the snakes had seized hold of its own tail, and the form whirled mockingly before my eyes. As if by a flash of lighting I awoke... Let us learn to dream…”

FriedrichAugustKekule (1829-1896)discovers the atomic structure of Benzene in 1865

Sci-art initiatives

• New research questions• Artists have specific expertise and knowledge• Raising deeper questions – ethics, society• Symbols, models and representations• New audiences for science, new awareness of

value of science• More equal relationship between expert and lay

person• Good for art and good for science – connects to

wider public

Memory and Forgetting (2003)

• Four artists and four scientists exploring colour memory; childhood amnesia; autobiographical memory; dementia

• Research, production, touring exhibition, workshops and talks

• PEALS, NPS, Hatton Gallery

• Funded by Wellcome Trust and Arts Council

Critical debate

• Need to discuss quality – in art as well as science

• Encouragement needs to be followed by assessment and feedback

• Does it succeed? Is it good? Does it communicate? Is it true? Is it important?

• Relies on having a community in dialogue• Openness and honesty, not self-indulgence and

elitism• Both science and art are part of wider society

Final thought…

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Pablo Picasso