Creativity Month 2013

www.creativityni.org

March 2013

CREATIVITY MONTH_ CRE_ ATIVITY MONTH 2013

www.creativityni.org Check out the latest opportunities, events and video content at www.creativityni.org.

Developed by Culture Northern Ireland and City of Culture 2013, the Creativity NI website will help make these creative connections and act as an online hub for creativity across the region.

Creativity involves connecting things not previously connected. This can include people, organisations, businesses and ideas. These creative connections can stimulate new ways of tackling problems in our society and finding innovative solutions.

THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

Creativity Month is a series of events and workshops taking place throughout March 2013 to stimulate new thinking and new collaborations to help creative people, creative ideas and creative organisations and businesses to emerge and flourish.

_in Northern Ireland

Our society faces challenges in the economy, education, health, poverty and social exclusion, and the environment. Creativity Month 2013 will showcase the work of organisations across the region in developing creative and innovative solutions to these challenges.

This year's theme will include a particular focus on tackling poverty and social exclusion.

The Creative Industries is an umbrella term for a range of economic activities which are concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge, information and creativity.

Carál Ní Chuilín, Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, said: 'Creativity will play a key role in rebuilding and rebalancing our economy. Our Creative Industries are a vibrant, innovative and growing part of our economy, and are increasingly being recognised as a positive economic force. The impact of the Creative Industries can also be seen across a wide range of sectors from tourism to manufacturing.

There are examples all around us in advertising, architecture, art, crafts, design, film, music and digital technologies.

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) is the government lead on the Creative Industries in the North of Ireland.

DCAL also supports a diverse creative and cultural infrastructure of museums, libraries, sport, inland waterways and inland fisheries, linguistic diversity, archives, and is the sponsor department of a range of arm-length bodies including the Arts Council and Northern Ireland Screen.

'Creativity Month is about building momentum around creativity and the Creative Industries and inspiring people and organisations to think differently, to think creatively and to look to the possibilities of the future.'

The Creative Industries are emerging as one of the fastest growing and increasingly important sectors of the economy, replacing our traditional ‘heavy’ industries.

Creativity Month 2013 is being coordinated by Culture Northern Ireland and the City of Culture 2013, with the full programme available at the Creativity NI website (www.creativityni.org), an online hub for creativity across the region.

They contribute significantly to job and wealth creation in Northern Ireland, employing around 31,000 people and generating £737 million annually for the local economy.

HIGH_ LIGHTS

Creativity Month 2013

NI Libraries Writer-in-Residence – Bernie McGill Date: March 1 Time: 10am Venue: Titanic Belfast

Future Classrooms 2013 Conference Date: March 1 Time: 10am Venue: Titanic Belfast Future Classrooms 2013 is Northern Ireland's first conference designed to help education leaders and key decision makers develop strategies for the creative use of technology in the classroom. Changes in how our young people learn today will help to prepare our future workforce for a modern competitive economy of tomorrow.

Urban Landscape Panel Discussion Date: March 21 Time: 6:30pm Venue: PRONI, Titanic Quarter Round table panel discussion exploring Urban History. Last in the the Exploring Urban History in Ulster Lecture Series, developed by Open University Ireland and PRONI.

Libraries NI’s first ever writer–in–residence Bernie McGill will deliver a series of events and workshops throughout Creativity Month. Bernie McGill is a short story writer and author of The Butterfly Cabinet. Her work has been shortlisted for numerous prizes including the Bridport, the Fish, the Asham, the Michael McLaverty and the Seán O’Faóláin short story awards. Bernie also writes for theatre and a short story collection is forthcoming in 2013 from Whittrick Press. Check the Libraries NI website www.librariesni.org.uk for updates.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Creative Industries Conference: ‘Thrive’ Date: March 22 Time: 9.15am - 1.45pm Venue: Lyric Theatre, Belfast A key event for everyone involved in the Creative Industries in Northern Ireland. ‘Thrive’ is a half-day conference celebrating the success of Northern Ireland’s Creative Industries and exploring their increasing importance to our economic growth and job creation.

Featuring as part of Creativity Month, ‘Thrive’ brings together international speakers including Eric Huang Director, New Business & IP Acquisitions at Penguin Books, and recognised leaders in the Creative Industries. It showcases the work of the creative companies supported by the DCAL / Arts Council £4.5 million Creative Industries Innovation Fund and provides an opportunity for practitioners and companies to network and share best practice.

ImagineNation Date: February 16 - March 17 Time: 10am - 5pm Venue: W5, Belfast

Walk in Business Clinics Date: March 5 & 12 Time: 10am - 12pm Venue: Old Town Hall, Banbridge Banbridge District Council are running a series of walk in business clinics to give local businesses and budding entrepreneurs the chance to pop in and obtain advice from industry professionals on the range of training or various supports available to help you set up in business or to grow and develop your established business.

Advice on a range of business issues is available including: Employment schemes

SXSW in Austin Texas is the world’s largest and most important creative industries conference and showcase.

It is anticipated that this year’s event will attract over 30,000 international delegates from the creative industries and media worldwide. The event provides a great opportunity for internationally focussed creative businesses to develop their knowledge, networks and markets.

NI@SXSW is the collective brand for the Northern Ireland Music, Interactive and Film trade mission to this year’s event. This year’s delegation includes 25 Northern Ireland companies from the music, film and digital sectors, one feature film premiere (the Terri Hooley biopic Good Vibrations), and six showcasing artists and bands – Ash, Girls Names, Sea Pinks, The Lost Brothers, Psycatron and Bicep.

NI@SXSW is a collaborative initiative supported by Invest NI, Dept of Culture Arts and Leisure, Belfast City Council and Digital Derry.

This March will see the Nerve Centre going mobile with its Fab Lab project, taking state-of-the-art fabrication technology into primary and secondary schools. The Fab Lab is a fully kitted out digital workshop which gives users the capability to turn almost any practical idea into reality. Using 2d and 3d design software, coupled with 3d printers, laser cutters, router and milling machines, users can design and make almost anything.

As part of a DCAL supported pilot, the mobile Fab Lab is spearheading the Nerve Centre’s STEAM Learning initiative – adding the Arts to STEM to bring new audiences and a wider attractiveness to learning around Science and Technology. By developing a mobile element of the Lab, and an accompanying programme of curriculum mapped interventions at Key Stages 2 and 3, the STEAM pilot will see the innovative benefits of the Fab Lab creative learning model being delivered directly into schools. Further information at www.nervecentre.org

Derry~Londonderry welcomes its first Enterprise Week, a special showcase event aimed at enhancing business prospects for local companies. The week-long programme features motivational talks, workshops and displays spanning all sectors, taking place at a number of venues throughout the city - not to mention some very special guests!

The event aims to encourage business development and entrepreneurial spirit amongst local businesses through a series of workshops and seminars led by some of the North West's top companies and investors. It will offer SMEs the chance to seek out one-to-one guidance and avail of practical training and mentoring from the experts. Touching on everything from franchising and social media marketing, to finance and visual merchandising, the jam-packed programme offers something to enhance any business.

For more information about Enterprise Week, and to sign up online, simply go to www.derrycity.gov.uk/business opportunities, e-mail business opportunities@derrycity.gov.uk, or telephone (028)7136 5151.

Date: March 11 - 15 Craft Northern Ireland kicks off a five day public exhibition at the newly rejuvenated Craft Central gallery in Clerkenwell, showcasing the very best designer-makers within the contemporary craft sector in Northern Ireland. ‘Perspective: Inspiration Unveiled’ is a dedicated installation exhibiting the work of 13 hand picked craftsmen and women, from jewellery designers to sculptors, ceramicists, weavers, glass blowers and furniture designers.

CITY OF CULTURE Highlights 2013

Humdinger! Childrens Literature Festival Date: March 7 - 10 Dog Ears proudly presents ‘Humdinger!’ a children’s book festival to celebrate the best in children’s stories, characters and illustration.

Artist Gardens

Royal Ballet

Date: March 20 - June 20

Date: March 30 & 31

Artists Locky Morris, Katie Holten, Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey will create bespoke gardens within houses, on roof tops, in subterranean sites and local landmarks.

Hofesh Shechter Political Mother

Primal Scream

Date: March 8 & 9

Primal Scream are celebrating 30 years rocking and rolling, jangling, shimmying, shaking, funkin’ and souling.

Political Mother: Derry~Londonderry Uncut is Shechter’s big-picture vision of oppression, survival, resistance and existence.

Off the Cuff

The London Symphony Orchestra

Date: March 14

Date: March 18

Off the Cuff fashion evening is the culmination of an inter-college competition inspired by Derry’s rich history of shirt-making.

Featuring John Williams’ best loved works for films directed by Steven Spielberg.

For all listings visit:

Irish Language Week Date: March 5 - 17 Irish Language Week is celebrated each year by Irish speaking communities throughout the island of Ireland.

Date: March 19

Business start-up and business development mentoring Need to know regulations for setting up in business including office, retail, wholesale, catering, consumer services, leisure and cultural facilities and accommodation.

Craft Northern Ireland (London Showcase)

Supported by the Creative Industries Innovation Fund, the exhibition will tie in with St Patrick's Day celebrations. This project is the first overseas event for Craft NI, and aims to develop the partnership between Craft NI and Craft Central and also to broker new partnerships with other leading London based craft organisations, with a view to expanding future export opportunities for makers.

Featuring special guests from the world of film, television and comics in a series of talks, signings, demonstrations and Q&A sessions on subjects as diverse as visual effects, drawing comics, digital art, films and film production.

Date: March 4 - 8

Date: March 8 - 17

Date: March 2013

Be inspired! Join W5 this February and March for a series of special weekend events in a spectacular celebration of creativity! With a host of costumed characters, sets, props, actors, artists and interactive activities, ImagineNation is an event designed to inspire, educate and entertain visitors of all ages.

Enterprise Week

NI@SXSW

Creating STEAM at the Nerve Centre

www.creativityni.org

Music Skills NI Date: March 20 & 21