For over 35 years we have worked with many organisations on societal challenges across the health, education, employability and housing sectors. At the heart of our work has been the application of creativity as a powerful tool in addressing and solving some of the biggest issues facing our communities and economies.
Over this time we have developed an understanding of the role that creative practice can play in enabling organisations to break down barriers, build confidence, motivate action and create stronger communities for the future. From this we have picked out five ways that we think creativity can contribute:
Innovative Problem Solving: Creativity encourages out-of-the-box thinking and the exploration of new ideas, leading to innovative solutions for complex societal challenges. As creative thinkers, we often bring our multidisciplinary team together to approach problems from different angles and develop unique strategies to tackle issues such as unemployment, sustainable transport and mental health.
Raising Awareness: Creative communication techniques, such as visually striking advertisements, engaging video content, and thought-provoking public installations, can raise awareness about social issues, prompting discussions and motivating people to take action. Creative campaigns can capture the public’s attention and deliver powerful messages that resonate with diverse audiences. WWFs recent campaign ‘Your Plastic Diet’ is a fantastic example of how visually arresting imagery combined with relatable copy lines can engage audiences on issues such as plastic usage in everyday products. Find out more here.
Fostering Empathy: Creativity helps people connect with social issues on a personal level by encouraging empathy and understanding. Stories, films, and artworks can humanise complex problems, making them more relatable and inspiring people to make a difference. In recent months we have been delivering a vital campaign on the issue of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and have placed real stories of real people at the heart of the campaign to inspire and empower people across Liverpool to grow and recover from ACEs. You can read more about the campaign here.
Collaboration and Co-creation: Creativity thrives in collaborative environments where diverse perspectives can come together to generate new ideas and solutions. By engaging different stakeholders, such as communities, businesses and public services, we often see powerful partnerships being built and co-creation being sparked to address societal challenges. We have applied this methodology to our work for many years, most recently in working with young people and service providers on the issue of mental health, and have seen real impact on our creative ideas as a result.
Promoting Change: Creativity can challenge existing norms and spark positive change by presenting alternative perspectives and solutions. As creative thinkers we often question the status quo, and can play a role in leading to breakthroughs in policy-making, technology, and social practices that can improve people’s lives and contribute to a more equitable society.
If you’d like to discuss how we can help you to harness the power of creativity and develop effective solutions to complex challenges and build a more sustainable and inclusive world, get in touch!