World Creativity & Innovation Week (WCIW) is a weeklong global celebration, uniting a diverse international community. This event is a motivation for fostering everyday creativity within businesses, households, educational institutions, and communities.The 2024 World Creativity & Innovation Week centres around the theme “INSPIRE,” carrying forward the momentum from 2023. Last year’s focus on inspiring people, fostering connections, and encouraging action continues in our commitment to drive inspiration and meaningful efforts in creativity and innovation.
World Creativity and Innovation Week runs from 15thto the 21st of April 2024, drawing participation from 160 countries worldwide. On April 21st 2024, the “World Creativity & Innovation Day” takes the centre stage and is dedicated to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations.
WCIW is driven by shared values like collaboration, empathy, empowerment and mentorship. It is about everyday creativity and making new choices and decisions motivating and inspiring people through thinking differently. The purpose of WCIW is to remind and encourage people to use their creativity to make the world a better place and to make their place in the world better.
Laeeq Ali, India Ambassador for WCIW/D 2024 said, “This event stands as a celebration of the boundless potential within all of us. It serves as a reminder that through collaboration and creativity, we can shape a brighter tomorrow. In a world where critical thinking is essential, let us be the source of inspiration, driving innovation and progress. Our goal INSPIRE speaks for itself. We strongly believe that simple moments of inspiration can lead to big ideas and changes, so I encourage and invite everyone to unite with WCIW to drive change in the world.”
Leading this initiative is Jim Friedman, Creativity Professor and Chief Steward of World Creativity & Innovation Week/Day. Dr. Friedman, a renowned professor of creativity and entrepreneurship at Miami University, brings a wealth of experience to the table. Formerly recognized for his contributions to television and film, he founded the Blind Squirrels Creative Group and boasts an impressive array of accolades. He is backed by an accomplished advisory board, international ambassadors and Miami University. We invite you to join us in celebrating creativity and innovation.
The goals of WCIW are as follows:
1. Inspire People – Change is powered by individuals. They form the start of creativity and innovation. It commences with you, within your mind and imagination. INSPIRE the creative minds in your community to envision a bold future and gather momentum.
2. Inspire Connection – Linkage is the gateway to collaboration, manifested in conversations and empathy. INSPIRE individuals to actively listen, comprehend each other’s concerns, and join forces in developing and building relationships.
3. Inspire Action – Stimulate Change through Action. INSPIRE imaginative thinking, creative expression, idea generation, and innovation to enhance the world around you.
How to Celebrate World Creativity & Innovation Week
1. Showcase your creative & innovative thinking.
2. Do something that showcases your critical thinking in advancing the 17 SDGs.
3. Celebrate with anyone: family, friends, classmates, co-workers, or even solo.
4. Your celebration can be almost anything. Creativity has no limits.
5. Celebrate your creativity & innovation with the world by sharing and submitting your celebration to www.wciw.org.
Some example celebrations would be:
● Hold a workshop applying creativity & innovation to your work.
● Interview a mentor on innovation in their industry.
● Have an artist hold a premier for their latest work.
● Cook a dish you’ve never made before and share it with your friends.
● Invite a group of friends together to play a new game.
● Write an article on creativity.
● Integrate creativity & innovation in your classroom.
● Film a video on your creative thinking process.
● Host an innovation challenge in solving one of the SDGs.
● Play a game that involves picking up trash in your local park.
● Hold a forum on ways to improve education in your community.
● Write an article on advancements in gender equality.
● Hold a webinar for your community on ways to decrease food insecurity.
● Create artwork displaying one of the SDGs.
● Vlog a day of practising good health and well-being.
● Create a project for ocean conservation.
● Make a useful craft out of recycled materials.
