creative construct

Last week in Ottawa, The Creative Construct: Building for Culture and Creativity symposium brought together international participants to exchange ideas and practices on the development of cultural and creative spaces; cultural planning and investment strategies for cultural infrastructure and cultural districts; and collaborative approaches to enhancing the cultural vitality, creative potential, and competitiveness of cities and communities.

The Creative Construct: Building for Culture and Creativity international symposium was organized by the Centre of Expertise on Culture and Communities at Simon Fraser University in collaboration with the City of Ottawa and from April 28th to May 2nd encompassed a series of plenary talks, panels, cultural research salons, and tours. Results of the symposium will be posted on the project website: http://www.symposium2008.ca/e/index.html.

How creativity generates unique spaces and the challenges of maintaining artistic priorities in creative economies were recurring themes. In this panel moderated by Caroline Andrew, Kate Shaw (Melbourne University), Will Straw (McGill University), Alan Stanbridge (University of Toronto) and Scott Thomson (Association of Improvising Musicians, Toronto) addressed issues and possibilities related to informal and alternative spaces and uses.