Radical Creativity

Contact sessions on-site on Aalto University campus
Monday to Friday 10-15.

This course is built on engaging lectures that mix theory with experimental practices, workshops, and classroom spaces in which agency is shared among all participants. The course is split into three phases:

Me & Myself: Identity and Togetherness
Being together with others requires that our body and mind are present. We sense others not just with our thinking mind, but with our embodied, felt knowing. In this phase, we explore notions such as that of identity, vulnerability, and the idea of togetherness. Methods drawing from social design and social arts (e.g. Social Presencing Theater) will support embodied self-awareness while allowing the group to build a safe space by introducing a conceptual framework of non-judgment and positive self-regard. Written and visual artefacts will create safe spaces for dialogue, peer support and a sense of inclusion and belonging. The objective of this phase is to cultivate the participants’ own embodied presence and identity, enabling them to build on it and get to a more thorough experiential and embodied understanding of what Radical Creativity could mean to and for them.

Me & Others: Radical Creativity as the Art of Creating Together
Moving onto our next phase, we focus on our relation to others, and on how creativity takes place in the collective. Our premise is that collective feeling, sensing, and perceiving are the basis for being together and for creating open, caring, and creative societies. We emphasize awareness of the whole and the importance of trusting one’s experience as a means to collaborate and address complex situations with confidence. We will look at the practice of radical creativity in the context of shared agency, participation and diversity. Students will learn more about cultural differences, the impact of values in collaboration, and the facilitation of co-creation.

Me & the World: Relational Agency in a World in Turmoil
In this final phase, we move on to our relation to systems. We explore the why behind the need for Radical Creativity, by focusing on confidence and/in expression, stemming from the belief that creativity and engagement are needed to respond to today’s complex problems. Together, we will explore barriers to creativity (fear, constraints) and how we can design for/with others in an ever-changing world. We will look at examples in which radical action has led to change (e.g activism, protests) to deepen our understanding of the extent to which creativity can manifest.

After the course, students will be able to:  

• Collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to analyze processes of group convergence and understand collective creativity dynamics.
• Develop an understanding of ‘radical creativity’ as a means to comprehend collective creative dynamics within a group context and an understanding of creativity across various scales, from personal to societal.
• Investigate discomfort, emergence, and novel environments as fundamental components contributing to the creative process.
• Utilise exploration of aesthetics, arts, and design to integrate diverse modes of knowledge acquisition such as sensory, embodied, and visual perspectives.
• Apply acquired concepts to personal and/or professional contexts, fostering a deeper understanding of their relevance and cultivating skills in proposing, challenging, and reframing inquiries to stimulate innovative thinking.
• Acquire competence in studio-based prototyping and experimental practices to foster creative exploration and innovation.

Pre-work 5h

Contact hours 50h

Individual assignment 22h
Individual studying 40h

Refelction time 10h

Post-work 8h

Total: 135h (5 ECTS)

The course is graded pass/fail.

Please note that this course is designed for visiting students and can not be included in Aalto degree studies. 

Pre-assignment

Reflection: Students will reflect on their inherent creativity by answering the question "How does creativity show up in your everyday professional and/or personal life?" They will be encouraged to bring an item/object from their country that embodies their creativity and explain its significance.

Learning Passport 

Throughout the course, students will maintain a “Learning Passport” to document their journey. Divided into phases (“Me & Myself”, “Me & Others”, and “Me & the World”), students will record their experiences, insights, and reflections using expression forms of their choice such as photos, scribbles, visual notes, and quotes. This passport will serve as a crucial resource for the individual project.

Individual Project and Exhibition

The culmination of the course involves an Individual Project and Exhibition. Drawing from their Learning Passport, students will select a moment from each phase and transform them into an experiential display for the entire group to enjoy. This exhibition, conducted on the last day, will showcase the student's journey and insights gained throughout the course.

Post-assignment

Reflection: After completing the course, students will reflect on their overall experience and learnings. They will consider how to effectively communicate their experiences and insights to individuals outside of the course. This reflection will encompass key takeaways and learnings acquired during the course.

The minimum requirement for applying to Radical Creativity is a finished bachelor's degree or the equivalent of 180 ECTS completed in the undergraduate degree. However, participants do not have to be a degree student at a university to participate in our course. This course does not require previous experience in the topic, but an interest in diving deeper into the material and experiences.

As the course involves a considerable amount of interaction among peers and with instructions, students are required to have a good command of English to keep up with the planned content.

Radical Creativity accepts applications from degree students in other universities, lifewide learners and Aalto degree students.

Prepare to attach the following to your application: 

• CV or LinkedIn profile
• Motivation letter. The recommended length for the motivation letter is 150-250 words. In the letter, share please your motivation to join the course, mentioning what type of skills and traits you would bring to the course. At the same time, we ask you to answer the following question: What does the word ‘creativity’ mean to you at this moment in your life? What types of ideas, feelings and thoughts do you associate with it?

If you need a visa, we recommend applying by May 15th 2024

• This is to ensure that we have enough time to process your application and that you have time to make the tuition fee payment, book a visa appointment and wait for the application to be processed. 
• You can apply and be accepted to the courses after May 15th. In that case, we recommend that you pay at your earliest convenience so that we can deliver your invitation letter to you promptly. 
• According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the processing time for a visa application is 15 days. However, the processing time may be longer if a more detailed application examination is required.

Tuition fee

The tuition fee is 1490€ (including VAT 24%). The tuition fee is to be paid by credit card or a Finnish online bank. If the fee is not paid by the due date, the application will be considered lapsed. 

Reduced tuition fee (-20%) for students from partner institutions of Aalto University. Please prepare to prove your student status with a study transcript before paying the tuition fee.

Unfortunately, Aalto University Summer School does not offer scholarships for participants.
 

Learn about the Aalto University Summer School cancellation terms. You will receive the full terms before making the payment and confirming the course participation.