Conference to close European year of creativity and innovation

A conference to mark the end of Malta's participation in the European Year of Creativity and Innovation (EYCI) will be held at the Middlesea conference hall, Middlesea House, Floriana, on Saturday from 9.30 a.m. It is being organised by the national group for the coordination of the EYCI, which was set up by the Education Ministry.

Education Minister Dolores Cristina, who will speak during the event, said: "This conference is very important as it shows the results achieved by the national group for the coordination of the EYCI." National coordinator Bernardette Gerada Aloisio and Joseph Woods, from the World Centre for New Thinking in Malta, will also contribute to the discussion at the conference.

Guest speakers will also include Pascal Cools from the Flanders District of Creativity, Belgium, and Christian Rinaldi from Italy's Retecamere. Mr Cools will discuss 'Entrepre-neurial creativity'; Mr Rinaldi will focus on the subject of 'Web 2.0 - an ICT tool helping the community make use of its creative capital'.

The event will include four workshops led by Mr Woods, Mr Cools, Mr Rinaldi and Micheline Sciberras from the Education Ministry. These will be themed: 'The improvement of the creative economy by means of culture, technology and enterprise';

'Social networking - giving the community the power to collaborate and make use of its creative capital'; 'The role of educational institutes in the promotion of creative thinking and innovation in their curriculum'; and 'Voluntary organisations in leading the community toward a European renaissance 2.0'.

For more information and to register, visit www.createmalta. com or e-mail eyci2009.medc@ gov.mt.