Community leaders, professionals and academics will gather in Rockhampton to discuss harnessing creativity in ways that are useful in the real world.

A key consideration is that creativity is crucial beyond the Arts, in areas including business, rural industries, mining, tourism, education and community health.

A ‘Creativity Studies Roundtable’ has been arranged by CQU on October 2-3 (Monday-Tuesday) at Rockhampton’s Dreamtime Cultural Centre.

Co-organiser Dr Jeannette Delamoir said that as well as discussing concepts about creativity, the roundtable would consider partnerships and connections to maximise the benefits of creativity in the community.

Dr Delamoir said CQU’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Education was keen to work with community contacts to build on the achievements of the Bachelor of Creative Enterprise degree coordinated by Dr Bernadette Walker-Gibbs, who is also a co-organiser of the roundtable.

Longer-term it is hoped to link teaching across various disciplines with research projects and community engagement in this emerging area.

Participants will include Dr John Kapeleris, the Brisbane-based Deputy CEO of the Australian Institute of Commercialisation.

Also present will be Sharon Parkes, the Brisbane-based Executive Officer for the former Ministerial Advisory Committee for Educational Renewal and winner of the 2006 Women in Technology PricewaterhouseCoopers Innovation in Business award.

Regional participants will represent Indigenous Business Australia, Queensland State Development, Arts West, Rockhampton Tourist and Business Information, Rockhampton City Council, Tanner Consulting and Grafico.