OSCAR

“Creativity” was identified as the key attribute of a 21^st world leader in IBM’s biennial Global CEO Study series that interviews face-to-face over 1,500 CEOs, general managers and senior public sector leaders who represent different sizes of organizations in 60 countries and 33 industries. The September 2009 and January 2010 study identified that the threats and opportunities are indeed escalating and some are predictable, but most importantly they are converging and creating unique situations, as they term “firsts-of-a-kind,” that require a creative mind. Most institutions and organizations are not equipped to cope effectively with these new situations, and the creative competency is the most critical component for educational, research and societal outcomes.

Creativity involves risk that leads to disruptive innovations in our society. A creative mind is an open minded and inventive mind that has a willingness to take risks but also can engage and persuade the diverse audiences. The OSCAR Creative Communities Collaboratory is a social platform that will engage these audiences and enable the Rise of the Rhode Island Creative Class.  The OSCAR Creative Communities Collaboratory is comprised of the experts that represent RI’s community of artists, designers, innovators, entrepreneurs that have been applying creative and entrepreneurial ideas to social problems.

We believe Rhode Island is a tale of two states: 1) the tale of a legacy of industrial revolutions that brought great growth and opportunity that built a foundation and eco-system desiring a rich quality of life for its inhabitants; and, 2) the tale of the rise of the creative class to overcome the current socio-economic divides that have occurred and provide a rich quality of life and work that recognizes and benefits all of RI residents. The OSCAR Creative Communities collaboratory is focused on defining and examining data that will best inform our state how to capitalize on the creative class and its creative and entrepreneurial activities, programs, interventions that will engage the social/civic sector of RI to enhance our overall quality of living and build an economically sustainable state.