Metz, France. Empowering Tomorrow: Skills for a Circular and Low-carbon Future. The workshop of the InteractionSeeds partners MATERALIA and their participants could not have taken place in a better environment. In the venerable Le Royal, a historic building shaped by art and creativity over centuries, over 40 participants met in the last week of November to embark on a very special journey. The mixture of visualising social challenges on a scientific basis and the influence of artistic methods sounded a bit unusual at first.
The event started with the intervention of two speakers. The first one Kamel MNSRI, has international experience at IBM and academic research focused on leadership, creativity, and business ethics. He currently works at ICN Business School Nancy. He explored the leadership qualities that can make a difference within an organisation integrity, ethical decision-making, agility, digital know-how, and a strong connection to stakeholders. He made the topic relatable and engaging by showcasing how we can strike a balance between the rise of artificial intelligence and the irreplaceable value of human-centred skills, showing how creativity and critical thinking remain at the heart of solving tomorrow’s challenges. \
The second speaker was Jean-François CAMUS who works at EDF, a French multinational electric utility company. Within his role, Jean-François leads the company’s innovation efforts to tackle climate change challenges. His presentation focused on integrating art into industry to enhance worker skills and perceptions. His presentation dived into the topic of how art addresses EDF’s challenges, such as strengthening territorial ties, enhancing its employer brand, promoting safety, and boosting economic and environmental performance. Examples include exhibitions, artistic installations at power plants, and using art to reflect and communicate EDF’s values and vision.
During these presentations, Vera IVANAJ, a Franco-Albanian artist and academic, led an artistic intervention. IVANAJ is a painter specialising in abstract art, she primarily works with acrylic on linen canvas. Her creations explore/investigate complex philosophical themes such as life, energy, and movement, exploring the unity and uniqueness of being through a dynamic balance of thought, action, and emotion. Vera IVANAJ is a Professor at the University of Lorraine, France. Her academic work focuses on organisational strategies, art, and aesthetics. She created a dynamic artwork on over 12 meters of paper craft displayed on the wall, unfolding a story that continued to grow and evolve as she painted. The 40 participants were invited to view Vera’s artwork up close and discuss her creative process with her. They explored her choice of colours, and the inspiration behind her decisions, and were encouraged to guess which parts of her artwork corresponded to the themes presented by each speaker.
Participants were invited to engage in a workshop using a methodology called “Co-Creating the Future“. The process involved working through three steps collaboratively. Participants identified and discussed the current challenges related to future skills. Then they brainstormed and proposed actionable solutions to address these challenges. Finally, they synthesised their ideas to highlight the top proposals emerging from their discussions. Key takeaways:
- Participants emphasised the importance of harnessing collective and emotional intelligence to foster human connections that enable creative and collaborative problem-solving.
- We need to adopt systemic and critical thinking within organisations to encourage a holistic perspective for addressing complex challenges by understanding interconnected systems.
- Building proficiency in AI and media literacy is crucial for effectively navigating the digital landscape and leveraging modern tools to drive innovation and informed decision-making.
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