Creativity World Forum
Civic Center Music Hall
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
WHY YOUR IDEAS MATTER
Creativity is defined by Sir Ken Robinson as “the generation of ideas that have value.” Creativity allows
individuals, businesses and communities to move beyond the status quo, to grow and to succeed. Creative
Oklahoma exists to help empower you to be more innovative and get new ideas off the ground. We
connect problems with ideas and ideas with opportunity – all for the sake of bettering our region’s
economy and quality of life.
The Creativity World Forum is the annual global educational event of the international Districts of Creativity
Network. Oklahoma is the only North American District of Creativity in the network and will host the
international delegations in 2015.
The forum is part of Creative Oklahoma’s overarching effort to highlight
Oklahoma as the crossroads of creativity and innovation in North America, as well as an opportunity to
inspire and educate attendees on the importance of unlocking their creative potential.
Progress hinges on new ideas and creative solutions. No idea has ever been conceived without
imagination, thinking differently or asking difficult questions.
Our 21st-century interconnected global economy is built on ideas. The next new ideas will drive corporate
profitability, entrepreneurial growth and solutions to some of the most serious health, environmental and
social issues facing the human race. However, there is a disconnect between how educational systems are
preparing young people for this fast-paced change and the needs of the workforce and society for creative
thinkers, inventors and entrepreneurs.
Every human is born with unique talents, passions and the capacity to imagine and create. Our challenge in life is to recognize where our passions reside, what our talents are, and how to keep them alive as we move through life in our homes, schools, workplaces and community organizations. Too often, we are told something can’t be done because it’s been attempted before and failed; to not pursue our passions because we’ll never be able to make a living; and that test scores are more important than curiosity and deep learning.
As part of the global creativity movement, Creative Oklahoma is encouraging individuals to recognize their innate talents and creativity, then passionately bring those gifts into boardrooms, classrooms and city halls. Creative ideas will drive the economic and social change so critical to our survival.
WHAT IS IT?
The Creativity World Forum is one of the largest creativity and innovation conferences in the world, and it’s the only event to be held in North America in 2015 that brings global leaders in education, business, creativity and innovation together to inspire a broad cross-sector of students, business leaders and community leaders at an affordable price.
The forum features inspirational talks by some of the world’s most important creative minds and provides a
platform for networking and idea generation. The festive environment features innovative business
exhibitors, visual and performing artists, and interactive conversation groups
We’re celebrating Creative Oklahoma’s 10th anniversary and the Creativity World Forum with the theme
“All Our Futures: Ideas That Matter.” This theme is based on Sir Ken Robinson’s inspiring publication “All
Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education,” which shifted U.K. creativity and education priorities under
the Tony Blair administration.
The Forum will be held in Oklahoma City, one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurial centers in the United
States, and sets Oklahoma apart as the crossroads of creativity and innovation in North America. The
forum defines Oklahoma as a “smart” region with people who value others and their ideas – a perception of
the state crucial to attracting and retaining talent and business. Likewise, the value of networking, providing
general education to a broad cross-section of the population, and developing Oklahoma’s workforce,
teachers and businesses cannot be underestimated.
YOUR IDEAS MATTER
“Creativity” is a term commonly associated with the arts. Painters, poets, dancers and sculptors often come to mind. But we often overlook one of the most valuable forms of creativity: creative problem-solving. That’s what Creative Oklahoma is all about.
In January 2015, we’re launching a grassroots social media campaign, “Your Ideas Matter,” that will motivate individuals to not only tap into their innate creative problem-solving abilities, but also participate in an online platform for sharing ideas and new solutions to some of the globe’s most critical issues and local communities’ most serious problems.
We hope to set a new global standard for what it means to engage, unite and inspire individuals to work together across disciplines and socio-economic, age and racial lines to create new solutions to critical issues. This is a campaign of empowerment – individuals will grow as creative problem-solvers while helping to improve their regions and the world by discussing issues and ideas most important to them.
