Creativity European Association

Creativity European Association (CREA) holds an annual conference for people who wish to share ideas on how to live and work creatively. It has been held every spring in Sestri Levante, Italy since its founding in 2003.

The conference is organized by CREA Italia, a non-profit association based in Milan, dedicated to developing and disseminating the Creative Problem Solving Process (CPS) as well as other systematic creativity techniques throughout Italy and Europe.^[1] Other creativity organizations have a strong presence at the conference, with individuals assisting in the organization, presenting, and learning there, including Créa France^[2] and the International Center for Studies in Creativity^[3] in Buffalo, New York, USA. It is also affiliated with the American Creativity Association.^[4]

The conference

The conference hosts 250 participants (mainly creativity professionals and educators) from more than 20 countries.^[5] Programs are given in Italian, French, and English. Core programs include instruction in the Creative Problem Solving Process, the technique developed in the 1950s by Alex Osborn and Sid Parnes^[6] as well as training in other creativity tools and techniques and in facilitation.

In addition to educating conference participants, the conference has inspired the dissemination of deliberate creativity techniques elsewhere, both in Europe^[7] and in America.^[8]

References

1. ^ "CREA Italia" (in Italian). http://www.crea-italia.com/. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
2. ^ "Créa France". http://www.crea-france.fr/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=14. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
3. ^ "Creativity Links". International Center for Studies in Creativity. http://www.buffalostate.edu/creativity/links.xml. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
4. ^ "International Creativity - Europe". American Creativity Association. http://www.amcreativityassoc.org/intl-europe.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
5. ^ "CREA Highlights". CEF Newsletter. Creative Education Foundation. May 2007. http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org/cefnewsletter/may07.html#crea. Retrieved 2008-01-06. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "Creative Education Foundation". http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org/cef.shtml. Retrieved 2008-01-06. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ Gill, Gurpreet; Steve Oldfield (January 2007). "Scribbling on the Walls: Introducing Creativity at UEA, the story so far..." (PDF). Creativity or Conformity? Building Cultures of Creativity in Higher Education. University of Wales Institute, Cardiff 
8. ^ "Useful Links". Mindcamp. http://thinkxic.com/mindcamp/links.php. Retrieved 2008-01-06. ^{[dead link]}

Further reading

• "CREA Conference". http://www.creaconference.com/. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
• "CREA Italia" (in Italian). http://www.crea-italia.com/. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
• "CREA France" (in French). http://www.crea-france.fr/. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
• Fraley, Gregg (2007-04-24). "CREA 2007 – The fifth Annual Creativity European Association conference". http://greggfraley.blogspot.com/2007/04/crea-2007-fifth-annual-creativity.html. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
• Stradella, Cristiana (2007-04-24). "In diretta da Milano" (in Italian). Mentelocale.it. http://www.mentelocale.it/modi_mode/contenuti/index_html/id_contenuti_varint_17761. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
• Roujol, Brigitte (2007-06-04). "Crea Conférence 2007 : compte-rendu" (in French). Coachs et Vous. Coaching Avenue. http://www.coachingavenue.com/2/view_news.php?id_news=521. Retrieved 2008-01-06.