Creativity Studies publishes original research on communication within the creative society, survey articles and conference reports. More information ...
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Arts-based education to develop creativity in Lithuania: insights from public policy theories
This study is a critical overview of the Lithuanian system of arts-based education, which provides conditions for the development of creativity in children and young people. The aim of the study is to provide an analysis of the ongoing transformations, changes, and tensions that are emerging in the field of an arts-based education in Lithuania. The authors analyze the particular case of arts-based education with reference to several theoretical public policy frameworks. Insights gained from the historical institutionalist approach illuminate the path dependency that favors institutionalized, centralized, elitist forms of traditional arts-based education, such as music and fine art schools. This system maintains centralized funding that allocates money from national and local authorities to long-established institutions of arts-based education. The punctuated equilibrium framework developed by Baumgartner and Jones (1993) in their book Agendas and Instability in American Politics has highlighted the reform of the national curriculum, the neoliberal education policies, the diversification of providers and services, the increased emphasis on client choice and their financial participation, administrative and fiscal decentralization with the introduction of student baskets in general, non-formal and higher education as turning points, and critical junctures that fundamentally changed the entire structure of the education system in Lithuania. Based on the multiple streams framework developed by John W. Kingdon in his book Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies (originally published in 1984), the analysis revealed that the Lithuanian arts-based education system has unfortunately not gained new momentum but rather operates under the influence of general education and cultural policy decisions. The advocacy coalition framework developed by Paul A. Sabatier and Hank C. Jenkins-Smith in their book Policy Change and Learning: An Advocacy Coalition Approach revealed how heterogeneous groups of actors (i.e., students and parents, art teachers and educational administrators, and entrepreneurs in the educational market of arts-based education) participated in the process of implementing neoliberal policies, changes in educational funding, and the commodification of education.
Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Developing creativity in preschool children with behavioural and/or emotional difficulties: experiences of teachers
One of the fundamental goals of education is to recognise a child’s creative abilities and to create conditions for acquiring and expanding these competences. The success of education of children with behavioural and/or emotional difficulties highly depends on the education system’s ability to provide inclusive, high-quality education and services, as well as create an environment that meets the individual needs of each learner. It is relevant to find positive attitudes within the educational community, teachers’ willingness to work, and the ways to develop creativity in children with behavioural and/or emotional difficulties. This article explores teachers’ experiences of creativity development for preschool children with behavioural and/or emotional difficulties. The research method employed was semi-structured interviews with eight preschool teachers who have experience working with children with behavioural and/or emotional difficulties. The findings of the study have revealed that important factors in the education of children include: a creative teacher, democratic relationships among the participants in the educational process, a safe environment, and motivating the child to be creative; barriers to creativity are related to the child’s lack of self-confidence and negative reactions or criticism from adults; creativity of preschool children with behavioural and/or emotional difficulties is most stimulated by providing support, respect, encouragement, and privacy; the most frequent ways of fostering creativity in preschool children are through the activities of art, music, dance, drawing, etc. The results of the study are important in the context of inclusive education and point to directions for further research on the possibilities of creativity development.
behavioural and/or emotional difficulties
Design thinking and quality management in architecture and design faculties: from accountability to empowerment and creativity
This research aims at enabling and developing quality management in art and design faculties through the understanding of the relationship between quality management and the systems of design thinking. Moving away from merely achieving quality standards to integrating administrative work and creativity in meeting these standards. The research culminated in the creation of an equation that elucidates the incorporation of quality management into the structure of design thinking, emphasizing recurring thematic elements. These themes are rooted in the foundational principle of continuous improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, underscoring the central role of human involvement in planning, implementation, and development processes. The overarching objective is to attain optimal effectiveness through proactive participation and collaborative initiatives. This highlights the necessity of conducting multiple applied research studies to promote and validate this paradigm within higher education institutions.
Enhancing creative professional competence in foreign language acquisition for future environmental designers in Ukraine: a systematic review
This comprehensive study investigates the development of creative professional competence in foreign language among students enrolled in Ukraine’s Environmental Design educational programmes. Drawing on survey data from 226 participants, the research highlights the growing recognition of the role of English language proficiency in equipping future environmental designers for global, interdisciplinary practice. The findings reveal that while a majority of students appreciate the importance of such competence, significant gaps remain in curriculum structure, resource accessibility, and instructional design. In particular, students report insufficient instructional hours and a lack of integration of authentic, profession-specific English materials – challenges that hinder the acquisition of specialized communicative skills. The study emphasizes that foreign language education must go beyond basic instruction and instead be embedded within real-world, design-related contexts. It advocates for the adoption of content and language integrated learning approaches, using debates, discussions, and design-based tasks to foster creativity, linguistic fluency, and intercultural competence. The dual use of English – both in scientific (designer-to-designer) and conversational (designer-to-client) registers – demands a curriculum that addresses both academic and practical communication needs. Therefore, the research calls for strategic reforms, including curriculum realignment, increased exposure to authentic materials, faculty training in English for specific purposes, and the integration of project-based and blended learning. Thus, creative professional competence in foreign language is not a supplementary skill but a foundational one – essential for enabling designers to express innovation, collaborate globally, and adapt in a dynamic professional landscape. Systemic institutional support may find benefit from to realize these educational goals and prepare designers for 21st century challenges.
Enhancing reintegration of juvenile delinquents through creativity in art therapy
For juvenile offenders, engaging in creative activities supports adaptation to their particular life situation by diverting attention from existing difficulties, contributing to a gradual stabilisation of the emotional system and making less salient feelings of isolation. In this study, we will look at the possibilities of art therapy for juvenile offenders and its positive effects, focusing on visual arts. We explore the conceptual background of the topic, examine the positive effects of these activities, and present important practical initiatives. Based on the findings of the literature and the initiatives studied, the positive outcomes of art therapy are wide-ranging, not only contributing to the development of specific skills, but also facilitating emotional expression and increasing self-esteem. For individuals who have lower communication skills, lower self-esteem, and poorer academic performance, art therapy programmes can be particularly beneficial and provide opportunities for learning and development. The literatures confirm that it is an excellent tool for preventing secondary desistance, so it is not only in the interest of the young people concerned, but also of society as a whole to support these programmes.
Rock subculture in Žilvinas Glušinskas’ photographs: building communal capital through creative documentary
The historical background of the rock subculture’s political engagement and cultural relevance in Lithuania, along with photography’s role in shaping and establishing society’s collective identity, suggests that the study of contemporary photography related to this subculture may offer insights into broader societal developments and photography’s function within them. Building on this premise, the article explores Žilvinas Glušinskas’ photography series The Bash at Mekanikas’ Fazenda (orig. in Lithuanian (irregular language use with jargon): Tūsas pas Mekaniką fazendoje, 2019–2024) with the aim of defining how photography represents and shapes a specific rock subculture community and its connection to wider society today. To address this, the study analyses the documentary, artistic and cultural aspects of Glušinskas’ works, as well as the different contexts and media through which they are disseminated. The research is based on sociologist Sarah Thornton’s notion of subcultural capital, which in turn stems from the concept of cultural capital defined by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. The article concludes with a statement that creativity in photography, combined with its documentary value and the dissemination of photographs through mass and micro media, becomes a tool for generating communal capital – a symbolic meaning shared by a group of people, binding them into a community in a diverse and fragmented society.
The creativity of Iban sub-ethnic group of Dayak people community in maintaining and preserving customary forests in Sungai Utik Hamlet, Batu Lintang Village, Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Borneo
This study aims to analyze the creativity of the Iban sub-ethnic group of Dayak people community in Sungai Utik Hamlet, Batu Lintang Village, Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Borneo, in maintaining and preserving customary forests from the perspective of Earth ethics theory and Weberian social actions. The research model used community-based participatory research which consists of four phases, namely: 1) building basic principles and concepts of the research; 2) research planning; 3) information collection and analysis; and 4) action on findings. The results of the research showed that the community has creativity in managing customary forests, by communities while maintaining integrity, stability, and beauty. The motives for social actions to preserve customary forests were viewed from Max Weber’s theory, namely: 1) traditional actions – communities want to preserve customary forests for generations; 2) effective actions – customary forests were believed to be blood, breath, and considered as the father and mother of the community; 3) instrumental rationality – it can be seen that the central, regional, and traditional heads and Iban sub-ethnic group of Dayak people community strongly support the process of implementing customary forest management traditions; and 4) rationality of values – indigenous peoples had obtained an example of knowledge of integrity, stability, and beauty in customary forest management from their ancestors. Research findings show that the Iban sub-ethnic group of Dayak people community has a genius local concept in customary forest management. Knowledge and values applied in the creativity of customary forest management become an example of life values that are very meaningful and useful for indigenous peoples in understanding forest ecology. Future research still needs to increase creativity in customary forest management.
Iban sub-ethnic group of Dayak people community
Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Effectiveness of a mindfulness-based training program to improve creative self-efficacy among a sample of secondary school students
To motivating creativity among students, creative self-efficacy is one of the most important indicators, as it refers to individuals’ beliefs about their creative abilities, their motivation towards creativity, and possession of the necessary knowledge for creativity. The main objective of this study is to identify the effectiveness of a training program based on mindfulness, in improving creative self-efficacy. 30 eighth grade students, experimental and control groups included 15 students. The training program experimental group received a training program of 13 sessions, while the control group was not included. Assessment using the creative self-efficacy scale showed that the experimental group students scored higher on the creative self-efficacy table and its subscales than the students in the control group, and showed a positive effect of the mindfulness-based training program in improving creative self-efficacy among a group of secondary school students.
Creating a new brand name: a research with the case study method
With the rapid growth of the fast-food restaurant sector in Azerbaijan, the number of domestic and international enterprises is increasing. With this, the brand name becomes very important. Based on this, the purpose of the study is to create brand names for new fast-food restaurants. The study is qualitative research and was analysed by case method. As a result of the study, brand names were suggested by participants, and these brand names were analysed. Suggested brand names were classified before being analysed. Brand names classified in 7 groups as creative, national, fast, delicious, local, global, and competitive were then analysed. Among the brand names suggested by the participants, the most suitable were for the creative concept. Brand names with the meaning national suggested by the participants in both cases are among the most recommended. When evaluated in general, a total of 118 brand names have been suggested, and among these names, more suggested names are suitable for the words national, creative, local, delicious, global, food, and fast. The rapid development of the fast-food sector in Azerbaijan and the interest of both local and global companies in this sector create a need for new brand names. In this respect, it is thought that the article will contribute to the academic literature and practitioners.
The creative processes in the cities: the case of Turkish literature
Utilizing a four-stage model of the creative process, this article explores the creative process of experiencing and representing the city in a selection of modern Turkish literature and illuminates how the creative process aligns with and informs writings on the Turkish city. The analysis is focused on the inspiration, dreaming, reflecting, and imagining procedures of the creative process incumbent upon writing the Turkish city; concepts that condition stages of creativity. This paper’s approach is in significant part a response to the theoretical problem of how the author situates the Turkish city, particularly regarding the capital Ankara, that is understood in the context of singularity and Istanbul, that is situated within a multiplicity of realities. This Ankara–Istanbul relationship is further referenced in the context of a discourse that is centered on the novel idea of an intersection of four tracts or a double chiasm. Several writers are referenced, especially the Turkish authors Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Elif Shafak, and Orhan Pamuk.
Creative communication in the socio-psychological context: driving and hindering factors of the acculturation of Ukrainian migrants
This study explores the economic acculturation of Ukrainian migrants through the lens of psychological, communicative, and contextual factors. In this study, we investigate the challenges, hindering factors and psychological drivers affecting employment and self-employment outcomes abroad. Based on 36 semi-structured interviews conducted across nine host countries. The findings reveal shared difficulties such as language barriers, bureaucratic complexity, and gender differences in adaptation experiences. While men more frequently pursued entrepreneurship, women reported greater emotional and situational barriers to employment. Successful economic integration was associated with internal factors such as motivation, perseverance, and communication skills, alongside external supports such as family and institutional assistance. Communication and creativity emerged as key resources for resilience. The study contributes by bridging the gap between economic participation and psychological adaptation in forced migration contexts and offers a foundation for future quantitative research on migrant acculturation processes.
Dreaming, insomnia, and choreographic creativity of young female dancers: a cross-sectional preliminary study
Human creative activities have been postulated to be related to insomnia and dreaming during sleep. The current preliminary cross-sectional study investigated the associations between insomnia, dreaming, and creativity of choreography in young female dancers. Forty-six female contemporary dancers were included in the present online study and divided into two groups, creative choreographic dancers and non-choreographers, according to their experienced professional roles. The frequency and contents of dreams and nightmares were collected from the participants. In the choreographer group, the frequency of nightmares was significantly correlated with sleep duration and quality among Athens insomnia scale variables. Choreographers also exhibited a significant correlation between the frequency of nightmares and positive thinking tendencies. The non-choreographer group similarly revealed a significant correlation between the frequency of nightmares and Athens insomnia scale variables. The present results suggest that creativity in dance choreography is related to dream frequency, although it is less associated with dream content. Nightmare is less associated with subjective insomnia in creative choreographic dancers than in non-creative dancers, implying the involvement of neuro-psychological mechanisms related to the resilience process. Future research should explore the characteristics of creativity and regular sleep quality and could benefit from including external physiological measures to evaluate sleep propensities.
The role of creative leadership in change management
The problem that exists today is that it is extremely difficult to assess the influence of a leader on the change management system, since a significant number of his individual character traits or abilities are unknown, which contributes to this. It is important to establish which factors of creativity are more important than others. The key idea of the article is to demonstrate a methodical approach, how to evaluate and select the most effective qualities of creativity in a leader in order to increase the effectiveness of the change management system. The purpose of the article is to determine the level of importance of the factors of the leader’s creativity that influence change management in the organization. The object of the study is the level and structure of the leader’s creativity in the organization. The research methodology includes the method of analytic hierarchy process developed by Thomas L. Saaty, the method of expert review, which was strengthened by the Delphi method. As a result of the empirical analysis involving 40 experts from Ukraine and Poland, four key factors of leadership creativity were identified and ranked by influence: 1) openness to new ideas, 2) risk-taking ability, 3) flexibility of thinking, and 4) social interaction skills. Risk-taking ability emerged as the most influential factor in effective change management. After that, we presented the key directions of how they can be developed. These findings provide actionable recommendations for enhancing leader creativity in practical organizational settings. Rather than offering general advice for similar research, future research should test the applicability of this factor structure across different sectors, organizational sizes, and cultural contexts to validate and refine the proposed model.
Creativity of director’s solutions in Kyz-Zhibek play: colour, visual body movements, and their interaction
The artistic creativity trends of the contemporary theatrical process are aimed at complicating forms, deepening meanings, expanding the space for creating a new theatrical form, and, as a result, searching of the creative solution to comprehend the results of such experiments. Since contemporary theaters are targeted at developing and creating new performances, it is necessary to understand the potential of visual drama in the context of equality and effectiveness of all stage visual elements. As a variant of the adequate language search for the theater and society communication, visual dramaturgy becomes one of the fundamental in the context of the contemporary Kazakh theater development. In this study, the authors set out to identify and analyze the colour and body movement in their interaction on the example of the Kazakh national play Kyz-Zhibek (Kazakh: Qyz Jybek) directed by Dina Zhumabayeva in 2020, as it is visual intertext and reminiscence, addressed to the viewer reflection. As a creative solution to the study of the colour and body movement relationship in the visual network of signs organization of the play Kyz-Zhibek, such methods as semiotic analysis, vectorization by Patrice Pavis and the method of visual dramaturgy by Knut Ove Arntzen were used. In the study, we followed the goal of clarifying how the director creates and fills colour with body movement, strengthening and expanding meanings, and how this process can be studied and analyzed in order to be used for communication with the audience and in further contemporary theater studies.
Perception of primary school teachers towards role of creativity in learning: a qualitative study
Creativity has become one of the most coveted skills in today’s ever-changing world, where the sustainability of an individual is based on his/her creative potential. The need to foster creativity and innovation has long been a priority in the educational and corporate spheres. The current research focuses on perceptions primary school teachers hold regarding creativity and its role in learning, along with the identification of the creative student. The data is collected through focus group discussion. Teachers unanimously accept the role of creativity in enhancing learning and facilitating the child’s overall development. The study could be replicated in different countries, and the gap between perception and reality could be identified. This gap identification could be considered a basis for providing developmental intervention to the teachers to foster creativity among the children and formulate policy for educational management at the school level.
Creativity in contemporary higher education in the context of the artificial intelligence expansion
In the paper it is discussed what are the potential possibilities to foster creativity in contemporary higher education in the context of the artificial intelligence expansion based on theoretical analysis of sources and the findings of a pilot empiric study. The aim of this paper is to discuss aspects for potential development of creativity in higher education in the context of the artificial intelligence expansion. The objectives are organized around the research question: what are the aspects of studies in the context the artificial intelligence expansion that students in higher education experience and note today as relevant for their studies (potentially – for professional activity)? Methods of critical analyses of references, theoretical considerations, reflections on authors’ personal experiences, and a pilot empiric study, involving respondents/students, were employed for the development of the paper. Results of an empiric study are presented together with the conclusions that students in higher education conceptualise expansion of the artificial intelligence quite broadly and to a major degree – optimistically, with some attention on creativity and quite extensive attention to changes in culture.
aspects of studies in the context the artificial intelligence expansion
expansion of the artificial intelligence
Modern creative methods of ballet staging and their reflection in the Kazakh ballet Zhusan
The manuscript explores the evolution of ballet staging, focusing on the integration of modern dance and classical ballet. It traces this trend to the second half of the 20th century, highlighting the impact of modern dance’s flexibility on classical ballet’s rigidity, leading to a postmodern era in ballet theater. The study acknowledges significant Western European, American, and Russian researchers in ballet. It discusses how the fusion of classical ballet and modern dance has enriched choreography and led to innovative staging techniques. The manuscript examines the transformation in the definition of ballet, the rejection of strict genre boundaries, and the rise of individual authorial signatures in contemporary ballet productions. The work delves into the postmodernist quest for creative freedom, with choreographers like Merce Cunningham (1919–2009) seeking to break traditional dance constraints. It addresses contemporary ballet trends such as polystylism, eclecticism, collage, and complex performance structures. Focusing on Kazakhstan’s Zhusan ballet, the manuscript analyzes its choreography, music, and artistic interpretation. Zhusan exemplifies the fusion of classical, Kazakh, and contemporary dance, featuring a poetic libretto and a compilative score. In conclusions, the manuscript emphasizes the contemporary ballet’s shift towards the choreographer-director’s subjective vision, a departure from traditional approaches. This critical analysis offers a historical overview and examines the dynamic nature of ballet staging, showcasing a blend of tradition and innovation.
Make (dis)believe: creative spectacularization of the war on theatre stage in The Great Evil
This article deals with the issue of production of belief on stage of the theatre. The research presented in the article aims to contribute to the discussion on how understanding tools and techniques of building fiction in theatre helps to deconstruct and understand mediatized images of reality. The case in point is a Lithuanian theatre production The Great Evil (orig. Didis blogis, 2015, director Árpád Schilling), which will be analyzed as an example of militarized conflict depicted as a spectacle. Analysis of the performance and of its reception using tools proposed by Erving Goffman allowed to find aesthetic means specific to the theatre that were used to present the spectacularization and artifice as weapons of modern warfare.
Perception and definition of artistic craft within cultural and creative industries based on the qualitative data analysis
Culture and creativity are integral to European cultural and creative industries, pivotal in shaping Europe’s identity and global prominence. The focus on crafts within the cultural and creative industries ecosystem underscores their cultural significance. However, classifying crafts as artistic or traditional needs more systematic indicators. This article addresses this gap by proposing a methodology to evaluate the artistry of crafts. Twelve indicators were identified based on literature and in-depth interviews with Czech craft organizations to evaluate the artistry of the particular craft. Chosen respondents (legal entities and natural persons) self-evaluated these indicators, assigning weights based on importance. Results revealed varying weights, with mastery of the craft and originality deemed most significant. The proposed methodology offers a scalable approach to determining the artistry of crafts and aiding enterprises and policymakers in supporting cultural and creative industries. This study contributes to theory as well as practice by providing a comprehensive framework for identifying and evaluating artistic craftsmanship within the cultural and creative industries.
Creativity between nihilism and the search for meaning: Zeitgeist and creative innovation in body art
A recent tattoo style, the sticker sleeve, brings with it some peculiarities: for example, unlike other styles, the focus seems to be less on originality or artistry. Further, the motifs integrated often imply almost incompatible messages, from spirituality and the search for meaning to the denial of meaning. Based on content analysis and interviews, the article explores what this style reveals about creativity and the Zeitgeist. One can interpret this in the tradition of nihilism as a denial of meaning or as a general instead of concrete concept of meaningfulness. Furthermore, it can be seen as a symbol for a creative way of dealing with cognitive dissonance. A complicated relationship to individuality is articulated, on the one hand the overcoming of the desire for unconditional individuality in favor of the recognition of shared human features, on the other hand the call to look behind the surface and recognize individual meanings behind shared looks.
Unveiling digital creativity: enhancing teachers’ capacities in the digital education landscape
This article aims to unveil the concept of teachers’ digital creativity, recognizing it as one of their fundamental capacities to meet the challenges posed by digital education. The theoretical segment of the article engages in a comprehensive discourse on the concept of teachers’ digital creativity. The theoretical discourse is complemented by an empirical study, engaging general education school teachers, to provide insights into their understandings and perspectives related to digital creativity. The empirical study was organized in Lithuanian general educations schools. Eleven interviews with teachers, who are already using digital tools and platforms in their teaching process, were conducted. The research findings not only enrich the understanding of teachers’ digital creativity in education, but also lay the groundwork for the further development of a robust framework of teachers’ digital creativity, offering practical considerations that may be essential for its effective formulation and implementation.
Tapping the creative potential of the city of Kaišiadorys, Lithuania, in external communication in social networks
This article explores how social media platforms can be used to unlock the creative potential of the city of Kaišiadorys, Lithuania. The study focuses on the external communication of creative activities through Facebook and Instagram and assesses the effectiveness of the content in attracting public attention and enhancing the city’s image. The analysis of 25 posts shows that the city’s Facebook profile has a larger audience, but both platforms lack dynamic elements, such as videos or interactive content, which could increase audience engagement. The study highlights the importance of a clear and concise message, emotional connection through storytelling and the significance of strategic partners in enhancing the city’s image and attracting visitors. The results of the study show that in order to stimulate creativity innovative content formats such as videos or play elements should be used much more.
Learning creative interpretation in the music classroom: the possibilities of the emotional expression method
The article discusses the problems of interpretation of a piece of music and presents a part of an extensive research on 26 filmed lessons, where the emotional expression method is used to reveal innovative possibilities for encouraging creative interpretation. The emotional expression method is used here as a way of stimulating musicality and musical, including interpretative, skills, and self-expression, by expressing the content of a work’s emotional intonations, or the experiences of a “fictional hero”, evoked by the integration with non-musical art forms. In this one alternative empirical experiment we used Emery Schubert and Dorottya Fabian’s taxonomy of expressive features in music performance, which was developed in 2014 and focuses on expressivity in music performance, defines the specificity of interpretations, determines the differences between performances, and allows to identify the style of the various different interpretations. The participants (19 female and 7 male students) were selected for the experiment by means of representative case sampling. The main aims of the 26 experimental lessons were to stimulate the pupil to develop a personal relationship with the piece being performed, its “fictional hero”, to improve the pupil’s interpretation of the piece, and to stimulate the discussion of moral values by asking specific questions focused on the fulfilment of the goals of emotional and ethical education. The results of the study were evaluated by four experts – teachers of different specialisations in the subject of the instrument. The evaluation procedure was based on the review of the experimental filmed lessons and the filling in of templates of evaluation protocols (104 in total) prepared in advance by the researchers. The study revealed the positive impact of emotional expression method on harmonising the music-making process, where traditional teaching makes it challenging to quickly achieve changes in sound quality, dynamics, phrasing, expressiveness, or stylistics; it helped to develop the student’s emotional competence and reduce stage anxiety. However, there were also necessary conditions for the application of emotional expression method: the pupil must have a good knowledge of the text of the piece of music, so that the “technical” difficulties do not interfere with the expression of the experiences of the “fictional hero” used in the method.
The value of creative activities in the recreational field: the grounded theory perspective
The current article employs a constructivist grounded theory approach to analyze the relationship between recreation and creativity. Researchers explore how engaging in imaginative recreational activities foster and sustain social connections, emphasizing the importance of social settings and interactions. In the context of recreation, creativity is highlighted as a crucial process enriched with educational and developmental elements, characterized by originality and usefulness. The value of creative activities is particularly stressed, noting their ability to transform emotions, replace negative feelings with positive ones, and enhance self-confidence among young people. This self-confidence serves as a medium for socialization and self-development. Additionally, the role of communication is emphasized, as creative activities provide youth with opportunities to communicate and build social ties.
The creativity of monuments: the case of bistable Belarusian identity
During the last decades, Belarus has experienced a wave of monument construction, i.e., the monuments as creative practices through which certain historical, cultural and political meanings are constructed and articulated. The process confirms some scientists’ insights that the Belarusian identity is actively created today. However, the scientists who are interested in its construction on a practical level have not paid attention to the process of monument creation in Belarus as it also creates and articulates state identity. The analysis of the monument-making process has revealed that three identity narratives co-exist in Belarus: national-cultural and two political-historical ones, i.e., commonality with Russia and political independence from Russia. The potential contradiction of these political-historical narratives shows that the Belarusian identity is in a dichotomous and uncertain state. Although the spread of the political independence from Russia narrative allows us to talk about the existence of an independent national identity of Belarus (one of the most prominent manifestations was the mass protests in 2020, unpredicted by many scientists) in parallel with the existence of a strong historical-political narrative of commonality with Russia, the identity of Belarus remains in a bistable condition. For this reason, the further development of the Belarusian identity remains uncertain in the long-term perspective.
Effects of technology-enhanced active learning on the musical creativity of gifted students
Technology-enhanced active learning increases not only gifted students’ interest in learning but also facilitates the promotion of their musical creativity. This study uncovers gifted students’ attitude toward technology-enhanced active learning and its effect on their musical creativity. This mixed-methods study used an experimental design followed by semi-structured interviews. We developed a control group (n = 19) and an experimental group (n = 21) of the randomly selected gifted students’ age of 11–13 years old from science and art centres institution at secondary schools in Turkey. We designed an intervention to deliver music curricula through technology-enhanced active learning for the experimental group and without technology-enhanced active learning for the control group. Three experts used a rubric to measure the musical creativity of gifted students. A pre-test and post-test indicated that there was an effect of technology-enhanced active learning on the musical creativity of gifted students. Semi-structured interviews with students also suggested that gifted students have positive attitude towards technology-enhanced active learning. Students have a positive attitude towards the technology-enhanced active learning approach owing to five reasons: finding education programs beneficial, self-expression, improvement in composing skills, improvement in using technology while composing, and eagerness to continue technology-enhanced active music learning.
Creativity and disinformation in artificial intelligence-driven fashion communication
Fashion is an industry of constant changes and reflects societal alterations; therefore, fashion brands must always seek creative and innovative communication strategies for a positive brand reputation and be at the forefront of technology. Fashion communication shapes society’s needs and perceptions of reality, which are currently shifting due to the high density of various artificial intelligence technologies, including those that can recreate reality. Therefore, consumers are easy to deceive, and creative ways of communicating using artificial intelligence lead to creative ways of disinformation. The question arises as to which topics of creative use of artificial intelligence in the field of the fashion industry are the most widely studied and what the research gaps are. An integrative literature review focusing on papers published between January, 2016 and January, 2024 was conducted to answer the research question and clarify the tendencies of future research. The findings of this research show the emerging machine-washing concept as the topics that scholars are mostly focused on – the recreation of reality using deepfakes and altered images, digital influencers, and their messages.
Visualising anthropomorphism as a creative communicative mode in Samit Basu and Ashish Padlekar’s The Tall Tales of Vishnu Sharma: Panchatantra
In today’s ocular-centric era, vision and visuality play a significant role in representing ideas. This article analyses anthropomorphism as a communicative mode that helps readers comprehend a story’s underlying meaning, using a socio-semiotics metafunction as a lens. The study focuses on Samit Basu and Ashish Padlekar’s adaptation of the famous Panchatantra collection, The Tall Tales of Vishnu Sharma: Panchatantra (published in 2015), where creatures with the ability to speak are the central characters. This story emphasises a diverse group of characters from the world of Panchatantra who communicate their problems to Vishnu Sharma, their chosen guardian, through the transformation of animals into humans. Through the use of animated letters, mascots, and anthropomorphic parameters, barriers can be eliminated in a creative approach. The paper underscores the significance of studying signs and interpreting visually represented social phenomena in order to articulate culture, society, and historical context. The research is divided into two sections: the first section explores the function of images by analysing image artefacts that question the presence of anthropomorphism. In contrast, the second section introduces the four degrees of anthropomorphism and their characteristics. The hypothesis posits that anthropomorphism can effectively convey meaning, especially in stories aimed at children. This study seeks to contribute to a greater comprehension of the use of anthropomorphism as a creative mode of communication in contemporary literature.
The impact of social capital on innovative behaviour as a reflection of creativity: the case of education sector
Social capital enables sharing, trust, solidarity, proper norms and respectful behaviours, and organisational participative management. Employee innovative behaviour is vital for organisations as it provides a competitive advantage. This study aims to determine the impact of social capital and its sub-dimensions, friendly acceptance, norms of behaviour, trusting/reciprocity, and governance on innovative behaviour and its sub-dimensions, participative leadership, external work contacts, and innovative output on innovative behaviour. The data were gathered from 264 school administrators and teachers through a questionnaire. The SPSS Statistics 25.0 program was used to test the research hypotheses. Reliability and validity analysis results are sufficient. The results showed that social capital (overall) and its all-sub-dimensions, except trusting/reciprocity, significantly and positively impact innovative behaviour. However, most of the sub-dimensions of social capital have no significant impact on the sub-dimensions of innovative behaviour.
Problem-based learning in developing students’ communicative skills and creativity in teaching English for specific purposes
Tertiary education uses a variety of teaching methods to cater for different learning styles, encourage critical thinking, and prepare students for real-world challenges. Common methods include lectures, seminars, independent study, and collaborative learning. This diversity reflects the complexity of higher education and helps to create a dynamic learning environment that fosters lifelong learning and critical thinking skills. Problem-based learning, a prominent teaching method, focuses students on an inquiry-based approach, presenting them with real-life problems that require the application of knowledge, critical thinking, creative approach, and collaboration. Problem-based learning is very effective in teaching English for specific purposes at tertiary level because it involves students in projects that require the use of the target language, thus enhancing language acquisition and fostering communicative skills. This method benefits students by promoting active learning, improving communication, encouraging creativity, and developing problem-solving skills. A study at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania, involving students from creative and technical fields, found that most students found problem-based learning beneficial, although creativity students were more enthusiastic. The results suggest that while problem-based learning improves understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of study programmes, technical students are more sceptical about the effectiveness of problem-based learning. Despite some negative attitudes on the part of some students, problem-based learning remains a valuable tool in English for specific purposes education, supporting the development of language and professional skills.