Elgin-area innovation series kicks off
If you've ever wondered what it takes to turn a bold idea into reality - and perhaps make that happen yourself - a new Elgin-area initiative aims to help.
The "Create, Innovate, Ignite" series and summit, which kicked off with a reception Saturday night, is spearheaded by Hamilton Wings in collaboration with Elgin Community College and Gail Borden Public Library. The goal is to celebrate examples of creativity in the area while developing a network of resources and sustainable plans to foster further creativity, Hamilton Wings Executive Director Rise' Jones said.
"It's designed to demystify creativity and innovation and show that it doesn't belong to special people," Jones said. "We all have gifts and ways of being creative."
Hamilton Wings is an Elgin-based nonprofit working to promote creativity, leadership development and academic readiness for socially and/or academically challenged children through the arts.
There will be monthly programs August through February at the Elgin library featuring creative individuals and innovative organizations, all from within ECC's Community College District 509, Jones said. The programs will target youths and adults.
"We're really trying to have interactive programs where people can get up close and personal with creativity and be able to explore it for themselves - and hopefully network with others," she said.
Also each month, innovators - both individuals and organizations - will be spotlighted in area publications, including the Daily Herald. The first innovator to be highlighted in August is Side Street Studio Arts in Elgin.
The activities will culminate in a summit March 2, 2016, at ECC that will bring together "thought leaders and decision-makers" from different fields with the goal of developing strategies to support the growth of creativity in the area, Jones said. "That's kind of the culminating piece," she said.
It wasn't easy to pick the innovators among 29 nominations submitted, said Charles Burnidge, a retired Elgin architect who served on the selection committee. Those selected have brought innovation to a range of fields, including in health and wellness, business and technology, he said.
"I'm really amazed at the innovation and the creation that is a part of our community and our local region," he said, adding innovation can turn into a profitable business model, or simply be about community service.
"(These individuals) are willing to say, 'OK, I see a need and I have the innovative spirit, the creativity to start a process that hopefully will bring about change.' "
The genesis for "Create, Innovate, Ignite" series and summit is a similar initiative called "Creative Scotland" implemented in Scotland about two years ago, for which a former Hamilton Wings board member served as a consultant, Jones said.
"At Hamilton Wings, we have a real commitment to young people exploring their creativity and being able to take risks in order to learn and grow," she said.