The Creative Partnerships experience was presented to Asian and European culture ministers
The 6th Asia Europe Culture Ministers Meeting (ASEM), an informal intergovernmental dialogue and cooperation forum, was held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 19-21 October 2014. Ms Milda Laužikaitė, Head of Creative Partnerships, gave a speech at the event and introduced the project she’s leading, its results and the experience it helped gain.
The Forum aims to develop close relations between Asia and Europe that help solve common political, social and cultural issues. For the first time in ASEM’s history, this year’s event was dedicated to creative industries and welcomed ministers of culture, politicians, diplomats, representatives of the public and private sectors, artists and people working in creative industries from Asia and Europe.
After receiving an invitation to the Forum, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania provided a selection of creative educators and creative industries that are active in Lithuania. ASEM organisers chose to present Creative Partnerships as a successful example for other countries.
“We all agree that creativity is important and meaningful in an array of activities, no questions raised. Now, the most important question is: “How?”. How do we create a space where creative skills are developed? A space, where no one’s afraid to experiment and try new things?” – Ms Laužikaitė said after her speech.
Drawing on the research of Creative Partnerships, Ms Laužikaitė presented the skills of creatives and teachers that the project develops, and the changes that take place in schools. She talked about the way in which participants of the project develop new creative spaces in schools which allow children, as well as teachers and creatives, to discover their talents and change.
The Lithuanian school project caught the attention of the Philippine minister of culture, who studies creativity in local communities in the Philippines. Delegations from Switzerland, Denmark, and the Netherlands also showed interest in Lithuania’s experience of creative schooling.
„These types of important events help you realize that what we do is universal, and relevant in many countries. The whole world is trying to restore or retain a space for creativity. We’re trying to restore what’s lost – an environment where personalities flourish,“ – said Ms Laužikaitė.
Currently, ASEM has 49 member states and 2 member organisations – the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
In four years 140 schools and around 9000 pupils from all over Lithuania have participated in the project. Over 2000 teachers have improved their professional competencies in the field of creative learning. The project was initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, it is partially funded by the European Social Fund and implemented by the Education Development Centre.
