Hyderabad: World Creativity and Innovation Day, observed annually on April 21 every year across the world, aims to raise awareness about the crucial role that innovation and creativity play in human development. The day is focused on achieving Sustainable Development Goals through promoting and celebrating creativity and innovation.
Creativity and Culture
The creative economy too has no single definition. It is an evolving concept which builds on the interplay between human creativity and ideas and intellectual property, knowledge and technology. Essentially it is the knowledge-based economic activities upon which the ‘creative industries’ are based.
Creative industries which include audio-visual products, design, new media, performing arts, publishing and visual arts are a highly transformative sector of the world economy in terms of income generation, job creation and export earnings. Culture is an essential component of sustainable development and represents a source of identity, innovation and creativity for the individual and community.
At the same time, creativity and culture have a significant non-monetary value that contributes to inclusive social development, to dialogue and understanding between peoples. Today, the creative industries are among the most dynamic areas in the world economy providing new opportunities for developing countries to leapfrog into emerging high-growth areas of the world economy.
History of World Creativity and Innovation Day
World Creativity and Innovation Day is a part of the World Creativity and Innovation Week that begins on April 15, celebrated as World Art Day in honor of Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday and ends on April 21. Marci Segal, a creativity specialist and futurist from Canada, founded this day in 2002 with the objective of inspiring people to employ creativity to develop fresh ideas, bring positive transformation, and perform problem-solving.
The United Nations (UN) recognised the importance of creativity and innovation in promoting sustainable development and included World Creativity and Innovation Day as a part of its initiative “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
In 2013, the UN jointly published a report with UNESCO and UNDP that emphasized the significance of human creativity and innovation in the development of micro, small, and medium-sized industries. In recognition of the importance of creativity and innovation, the UN declared April 21 as World Creativity and Innovation Day in 2017 during its 79th plenary meeting at the seventy-first session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The first World Creativity and Innovation Day was celebrated in 2018.
Significance of World Creativity and Innovation Day
The significance of World Creativity and Innovation Day lies in its ability to increase public awareness of the vital roles that creativity and innovation play in advancing human development and addressing global issues. The goal of the day is to inspire people and organizations to apply their imagination and creativity to create fresh, cutting-edge solutions that advance sustainable development and enhance the lives of people.
Through acknowledging the importance of creativity and innovation, the day promotes employment, economic growth, and an improvement in general quality of life. World Creativity and Innovation Day is an integral component of the United Nations' global initiative, which acknowledges the significance of creativity and innovation in accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals.
