Creating an organisational theatre of creative learning

The Organisational Theatre of Creative Learning is underpinned by the five disciplines of the Learning Organisation and is based on the application of the Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre technique to personal and organisational learning. This opportunity is currently available to students studying on a module entitled 'Developing Individuals and Teams'. This module facilitates students to work and respond more creatively to their organisational problems. The problems are encapsulated in a written script which allows the students to explore the characters, personalities and issues which underline their organisation's problems. These are then 'acted' out by the group to an audience (other managers) who attempt to make interventions to alter the course of the dramatic action by proposing solutions using the Forum Theatre technique. Predictions are made in the written script as to when and what these interventions could be. These are then matched to the interventions that were actually made (recorded on video), and through reflection managers have the opportunity in a safe, creative environment to analyse their predicted choice of actions/reactions as opposed to those that actually took place in the 'renactment'. This provides managers with the opportunity to learn about their managerial style in action, as well as those of others, when dealing with real organisational issues. Managers who made interventions are also asked to record what they remember and have learnt from their interventions in the 'renactment', whilst proposing possible solutions which maybe different to those predicted by the group in the script. The written script, the predicted interventions, the actual interventions, and a reflection on the 'renactment', and the interventions actually made by the managers, all form the totality of the student learning experience and contribute to the assessment in The Organisational Theatre of Creative Learning which draws its inspiration from the application of the Forum Theatre technique

The art of creativity

The arts have a role to play in bringing creativity to the workplace in the world of commerce and industry. The application of artistic practices and techniques drawn from the visual arts and performing arts are particularly suited to releasing the creativity found in organisations, which the rigours of the business processes practised has kept suppressed for far too long. This paper will draw upon a number of case studies of using the arts within organisations to encourage creative problem-solving. The paper will examine the techniques and processes used by organisations to embed the arts right into the centre of business culture, making them an integral part of the business process rather than just an add-on, and the lessons that have been learned. The case studies include: a group of 40 students on the Diploma of Management Studies course at Middlesex University; a group of 60 middle managers at Visteon (sister company of Ford Motor Company) participating on 3 day course on The Learning Organisation; a group of 80 managers on the New Century Managers Programme at Newham Council; and group of 8 participants at the Post Office Innovation Laboratory

Coaching for creativity, imagination, and innovation

The Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD) has acknowledged the rise of coaching, and has developed a set of standards to guide the coaching profession. The aim of this discussion paper is to explore the potential of creative coaching. What it could offer professional practitioners, and to investigate what professionals understand to be the components of creative coaching. In order, to reach conclusions and recommendations on how the professional coach can practically engage with creative coaching within existing coaching frameworks creatively. The research methodology supporting the investigation is evidence-based research, both quantitative and qualitative. This is based on conducting a questionnaire of Middlesex University Business School Master Business Administration and Human Resource professionals, and conducting a focus group with a group of Human Resource professionals studying developing individuals and teams, and the innovative practitioner. One-to-one creative coaching sessions with trainee coaches studying at the i-coach academy, and then a further in-depth case study with one of the trainee coaches using creative competencies. The objectives of the investigation are to ascertain: creative coaching goals and beliefs; expectations on the creative tools, techniques, and processes that could be used both individually and organisationally; qualities of a good creative coach; the outcomes and evaluation of the creative coaching relationship. A case for the contribution of creative coaching: to achieving goal-setting creatively; applying creative techniques within existing models of coaching; leaders as creative coaches; creative team coaching for organisational innovation has been made. Creative coaching based on an expertise in theories, processes, tools and techniques of creativity, as well as an understanding of adult education principles, and can make a valuable contribution in coaching training and educational programmes, as well practicing coaches

The artist within

The Arts lead the way in facilitating our creative individualism in opening up our imagination to future innovations: ‘Our conceptual life, shaped by the imagination and the qualities of the world experienced, gives rise to the intentions that direct our activities. Intentions are rooted in the imagination. Intentions depend upon our ability to recognise what is and yet to imagine what might be.’ (Eisner, p.7) This paper draws on over 10 years experience as a workshop tutor on the Open University MBA residential schools in Creative Management, running from 2 to 4 days. These residential schools engaged participants in a psychologically safe environment where creativity flourished, in which they could be flexible, receptive, and open to new experiences. There was a willingness to play around with new ideas, and to experiment with their possibilities back in the workplace. As workshop tutor I will reflect on the lessons learnt in facilitating with highly arts-based right-brained approach versus a logically structured left-brained approach. The aim of using a right-brained approach was to enable participants to experience challenges, which were both enjoyable and energetic and to have the freedom to be independent and take initiatives. A liveliness was experienced which led to feeling excitedly busy with an openness to trust each other and take the time to generate new ideas. Above all the arts-based workshops: created mood settings in which happiness and humour was expressed; allowed debates involving contentious ideas to be voiced; enabled conflicts to be handled constructively; gave support where participants listened attentively; and encouraged risk-taking at a emotional level

Arts-based creativity facilitating organisational innovation

Arts-based creativity has a role to play in bringing innovation to the workplace in the world of organisational life. The application of artistic practices and techniques drawn from the visual arts and performing arts are particularly suited to releasing individual creativity, the foundation in which organisations can innovate their business processes to produce new products and services. This paper will draw upon a final year undergraduate module at Middlesex University Business School, London, UK, entitled ‘Facilitating Creativity in Business’ using the arts to encourage creative thinking leading to developing organisational brainstorming and problem solving. And the analysis of management elective titled ‘Developing Creativity in Business’ offered at the School of Business Administration, Portland State University, USA, conducted by Ellen West. The paper will examine the artistic techniques and processes used by individuals to embed creativity right into the centre of their working practices, making them an integral part of the business culture rather than just a process to add on, and the links that have been made

A novel mistranslating tRNA model in Drosophila melanogaster has diverse, sexually dimorphic effects

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are the adaptor molecules required for reading the genetic code and producing proteins. Transfer RNA variants can lead to genome-wide mistranslation, the misincorporation of amino acids not specified by the standard genetic code into nascent proteins. While genome sequencing has identified putative mistranslating transfer RNA variants in human populations, little is known regarding how mistranslation affects multicellular organisms. Here, we create a multicellular model of mistranslation by integrating a serine transfer RNA variant that mistranslates serine for proline (tRNAUGG,G26ASer) into the Drosophila melanogaster genome. We confirm mistranslation via mass spectrometry and find that tRNAUGG,G26ASer misincorporates serine for proline at a frequency of ∼0.6% per codon. tRNAUGG,G26ASer extends development time and decreases the number of flies that reach adulthood. While both sexes of adult flies containing tRNAUGG,G26ASer present with morphological deformities and poor climbing performance, these effects are more pronounced in female flies and the impact on climbing performance is exacerbated by age. This model will enable studies into the synergistic effects of mistranslating transfer RNA variants and disease-causing alleles

Structural analysis of IPC zeolites and related materials using positron annihilation spectroscopy and high-resolution argon adsorption

ETH authors thanks for the grant ETH 33 15-1. PE and JČ acknowledge the financial support from the Czech Science Foundation (P106/12/0189). JPR and JČ gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ 2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 604307. HRTEM characterization was performed at the Advanced Microscopy Laboratory (LMA) and the research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative-I3).The advanced investigation of pore networks in isoreticular zeolites and mesoporous materials related to the IPC family was performed using high-resolution argon adsorption experiments coupled with the development of a state-of-the-art non-local density functional theory approach. The optimization of a kernel for model sorption isotherms for materials possessing the same layer structure, differing only in the interlayer connectivity (e.g. oxygen bridges, single- or double-four-ring building units, mesoscale pillars etc.) revealed remarkable differences in their porous systems. Using high-resolution adsorption data, the bimodal pore size distribution consistent with crystallographic data for IPC-6, IPC-7 and UTL samples is shown for the first time. A dynamic assessment by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) provided complementary insights, simply distinguishing the enhanced accessibility of the pore network in samples incorporating mesoscale pillars and revealing the presence of a certain fraction of micropores undetected by gas sorption. Nonetheless, subtle differences in the pore size could not be discriminated based on the widely-applied Tao-Eldrup model. The combination of both methods can be useful for the advanced characterization of microporous, mesoporous and hierarchical materials.PostprintPeer reviewe