2023 Torrance Festival of Ideas
April 18-20
Online and in-person events

Full schedule and free registration:
https://tinyurl.com/torranceideasfest2023

The Torrance Festival of Ideas is a free annual online cultural and educational event where renowned experts from across disciplines present their innovative ideas to the global general public.  This year the festival features unique perspectives on themes relevant to innovation, creativity, media, gaming, learning, storytelling, reading, imagination, science, AI, technology, aesthetics, literature, filmmaking, fashion, wellbeing, community health, mental health, aging, education, equality, pollution, conflict, and integrated design. Registration is free but limited to the first 1,500 attendees.

Selected events:

Creating the Conditions for Creativity
Torrance Festival of Ideas online event
Tuesday, April 18 at 2 PM
https://tinyurl.com/torranceideasfest2023

The demand for creative thinking and innovative problem-solving has never been higher, in business, in classrooms, and across our rapidly changing planet. This panel will explore the neuro-cognitive data on how creativity can be shaped by different spaces, from the height of our office ceilings to the design of VR and other digital spaces with which we interact, and how this impacts our cognitive agility for adapting to the future.

Guest speaker: Pireeni Sundaralingam, Neuro-Resilience Consulting
Elizabeth King, Ecology/Forestry
Mark Callahan, UGA Arts Collaborative
Host: Anna Abraham, Torrance Center

Pireeni Sundaralingam has conducted cognitive research at M.I.T and Oxford as well as leading the research program at Silicon Valley's Center for Humane Technology. As Principal Advisor on Human Potential at the United Nations Museum, she spearheaded strategy on behavior change around key global challenges, and is currently Interdisciplinary Catalyst at Oxford University's oldest college, as well as founder and CEO of Neuro-Resilience Consulting. https://neuro-resilience.net
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Slow Wonder Lights the Slow Fuse of Possibility
Tuesday, April 18 at 6 PM
Cine, 234 W Hancock Ave.

Peter O'Connor, the Director of the Center for Arts and Social Transformation at the University of Auckland, makes the case for Slow Wonder in this talk. There are double edged words used by education researchers and  bureaucrats that strip the art and beauty from teaching. They include: evidence based practice, learning intentions, individual achievement, and effective teaching. What if we talked instead of seeking classrooms full of beauty, of slow wonder, of day dreaming teachers and students.  What if we abandoned lesson planning and embraced surprise and serendipity? What if we were brave enough for schooling to light the slow fuse of possibility to disrupt the madness of current living? This event will be followed by a reception hosted by the Willson Center. 
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Violence, Visualization, and Creativity
Wednesday, April 19 at 6 PM
UGA Special Collections Libraries 
 
An estimated five percent of Americans -- more than thirteen million people -- live with 
Post-Traumatic Stress Disordervat any given time. PTSD is the result of a psychiatric survival mechanism. When a person is thrust into traumatic circumstances, the brain is forced to adapt, rewiring itself in order to better cope with the situation. Once removed from the traumatic situation, these newly formed neural pathways remain, unseen. Though they may be invisible, they still have a massive impact on day-to-day life, causing disruptive memories, anxiety, and depression. Steel Soldier follows US military veterans fighting their PTSD with an ultra-violent sport: Armored Combat. The documentary's director and producer, Jamie Flanagan (Respectful Productions, Atlanta GA), will share his research and findings from this current project. https://steelsoldierdoc.com/
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Live Well to Age Well 
Thursday, April 20 at 6 PM
Digilab, UGA Main Library, 3rd floor
 
Healthy lifestyle behaviors throughout our life give us a better chance of aging well, with better memory and cognitive skills, a lower risk for dementia, and greater emotional wellbeing. This talk will summarize what science tells us about living a brain-healthy lifestyle. Vonetta Dotson, Ph.D. is a neuropsychologist, author, and speaker. She is a Professor of Psychology and Gerontology at Georgia State University and the author of the book,  Keep Your Wits About You: The Science of Brain Maintenance as You Age. Her career has focused on teaching, providing clinical care, and conducting research related to brain health and aging.
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The UGA Arts Collaborative is an interdisciplinary initiative for advanced research in the arts at the University of Georgia, supported in part by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School, and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts.

ice.uga.edu
facebook.com/ideasforcreativeexploration

For more events and opportunities visit:
https://calendar.uga.edu/