Update on Programs: Energy Leadership Award | Creativity Working Groups

Energy Leadership Award

On Friday, October 9, IEI was awarded the 2009 Outstanding Leadership Award from the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) for our role in promoting and supporting sustainable energy in North Carolina.

IEI is honored by NCSEA's recognition, and proud to stand among its other winners. IEI recognizes that our work could not have been possible without all those involved in our energy program of work, from our Working Group members to Forum participants and members of our Business Committee on Energy. Thank you to all those involved for making real progress on developing North Carolina's green energy economy.

The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) honored several individuals, businesses and community organizations as part of its Green Energy Economy Forum, Networking Reception and Annual Membership Meeting at the Charlotte Convention Center on Thursday and Friday, October 8-9.  Click here for the complete list of award winners.

Working Groups

On September 30, IEI’s Working Group on Creativity met for the first time to discuss and debate the elements that make up a healthy and thriving creative ecosystem. Although many interesting and different ideas came from the discussion, there were a few common themes that were highlighted as essenial components:

Cooperation and collaboration among stakeholders in fostering creativity
Open collaboration and cooperation among and within major stakeholder groups across the state is critical to a well-functioning creative ecosystem.  Policies and practices must be in place that facilitate cooperation across and between government, business and higher education; all levels of government from state to local; and rural and urban communities.

Public and private finance and regulation
An ideal creative ecosystem would include a revised tax code which treats all industries equally, whether traditional or creative.  In addition, there would be incentives available to spur growth in creative sectors.

Education
The arts must be valued in K-12 education as a way to promote and encourage creative thinking in children of all ages.  A steady investment in the arts in our schools is justified by a broad understanding of the relationship between the arts, creative thinking and economic competitiveness.  

A Culture of difference
A very important characteristic of the most creative people is their ability to take risks, big or small, with the realization that they may or may not be successful.  The drive behind taking risks is often the desire to be different, to stand out, to try things or do things that no one else does, and a certain level of risk-taking must be rewarded for it this characteristic to thrive.

Infrastructure: Physical and Virtual
A sound physical infrastructure is the foundation for any healthy community.  But for a healthy, creative, 21st century community, a sound physical infrastructure must go hand-in-hand with a robust, virtual infrastructure.  Creative people are inspired by and learn from other like-minded people, and there should be a virtual place for  those who wish to communicate, make connections and learn from others. 

Next week the Working Group will meet again to discuss the current gaps in North Carolina's creative ecoystem. Their third and final meeting in November will highlight public policy options for closing those gaps.

Do you have your own thoughts about these or other elements of a creative ecosystem? We'd love to hear from you. ieicreativity.newkind.com