To research, develop and design a range of creative thinking and practise workshops

This project will form an exciting collaboration between Bathysphere, an artist led music company, and the Institute of Creative Technology (IOCT) at De Montfort University. The overarching aim of this project is to research, develop and deliver creative thinking and practice workshops for a range of technology, engineering and science companies. These workshops will foster creative thinking within the participants encouraging them to use their existing skills in a new context. The IOCT will provide research expertise in product research and development, concept testing, business enterprise planning and marketing, commercialisation, relationship marketing and negotiation. The IOCT works in the emerging areas of digital and post-digital creativity and has a proven track record in research and collaborations with businesses particularly in a creative industries context including digital media organisations such as The Phoenix Arts Centre which will prove invaluable for this project. This project will have a marked impact on Bathysphere enabling the company to achieve both its short and long term objectives. In the short term Bathysphere will benefit from gaining experience in the articulation of creative skills in technical staff in a variety of work contexts such as engineering, science and technology and business services. Exercises undertaken as part of the project will enhance the company’s creativity and facilitate innovation (creativity for design which may lead to new or incremental development of products and processes, for example, greater efficiencies, economies of scale, design for synaesthetic and interactive appeal). In the long term this project will provide an important new source of external revenue for the company which will enable it to reduce the level of support it receives from government funding giving greater security to the company and its team. In addition Bathysphere will develop a productive contribution of the creative industries for economic growth (UK wide and beyond). In addition Bathysphere will also gain access to the IOCTs industry networks, particularly the Creative Industries. This will provide Bathysphere with a test bed of companies to pilot and refine the workshops before their launch. As a result Bathysphere will develop strong relationships with companies previously unknown or inaccessible to them which are likely to result in future workshops and collaborations.