The European Commission proclaimed 2009 the 'European Year for Creativity & Innovation'.

 SICA/Cultural ContactPoint (CCP)

coordinates the Dutch series of events within this year. CCP is part of SICA, the Dutch institute for international culture policies and activities, and provides information about the European Cultural Programme and other European subsidy programmes for culture.The European Year of Creativity and Innovation aims to raise awareness of the importance of creativity and innovation for personal, social and economic development, to disseminate good practices, to stimulate education and research, and to promote policy debate on related issues. The key message of of the initiative is that creativity and innovation contribute to economic prosperity as well as to social and individual wellbeing.

The Year addresses a wide spectrum of related themes such as:

• fostering artistic and other forms of creativity through pre-school, primary and secondary education including vocational streams, as well as non-formal and informal education
• maintaining engagement with creative forms of self-expression throughout adult life
• cultural diversity as a source of creativity and innovation
• information and communication technologies as media for creative self-expression
• ensuring that mathematics, science and technological studies promote an active, innovative mindset
• developing a wider understanding of the innovation process and a more entrepreneurial attitude as prerequisites for continued prosperity
• promoting innovation as the route to sustainable development
• regional and local development strategies based on creativity and innovation
• cultural and creative industries including design – where the aesthetic and the economic coincide
• innovation in public and private services.

For more information please visit the  official website of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation.