ABSTRACT. This research investigates how AI-driven New Media Arts learning methodologies can cultivate essential 21st-century skills, aligning with the Australian Curriculum’s emphasis on critical and creative thinking as a foundation for lifelong learning. The study critically examines the ethical dimensions of AI in education, focusing on the shifting roles of creativity and innovation within higher education in a rapidly digitising world.

By integrating AI-enhanced interdisciplinary eco-philosophies with ethical learning frameworks, the paper aligns educational practice with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), particularly Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

The research draws on two cohorts of second-year higher education students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds who participated in a Study Abroad Program between Boston, USA, and Sydney, Australia—eight students in 2024 and nineteen in 2025. Findings reveal a marked development in students’ ethical reasoning, critical and creative thinking, and reflective practice. Engagement with New Media Arts in outdoor, environmentally focused settings was shown to deepen students' ethical awareness, foster self-expression, and inspire risk-taking and boundary-crossing attitudes.

The study demonstrates that AI-integrated, multimodal pedagogies can spark innovative synergies and global partnerships, contributing meaningfully to transformative, sustainability-oriented learning in higher education.

ABSTRACT. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming how individuals interact with technology and each other. The line between the natural and the artificial continues to blur, particularly in the domain of social interactions. While AI technologies offer potential benefits, such as providing emotional support and addressing social isolation, they are often met with scepticism. Some view AI as a mere simulator of empathy, while others perceive it as a threat to authentic human connection. Philosophers, psychologists, and technologists grapple with the implications of AI-mediated interactions and their potential to both enrich and compromise human relationships. There is limited understanding of what it truly means to engage with AI socially or the precise ways in which social AI shapes perceptions of subjectivity and the self. This presentation reports on an empirical study investigating how social AI is shaping individual’s inter- and intrapersonal experiences. Drawing on in-depth interviews, the study will explore the emergent themes of emotional validation, social recognition, malleability of subjectivity, authenticity, and personal growth. The paper highlights the possibilities and complexities inherent in evolving AI companionships, contributing to broader discussions on technology, AI, and digital media.

ABSTRACT. Past Success My talk references Ireland's history of successful state-led initiatives, including the IDA's economic transformation, T.K. Whitaker's development programs, Donagh O'Malley's educational reforms, and the pioneering Citizens' Assemblies. These examples demonstrate how intentional public policy can drive positive socio-cultural-economic-environmental change. I also speculate on potential applications.

Social + Civic Innovation?

Education: Cultivating Critical Thinking Twenty-first-century challenges demand creative problem-solving and systems thinking skill at scale. Integratingsuch competencies into universal educationfor meaningful civic participation.

People: Fostering Active Citizenship Modern democracy requires a shift from passive knowledge acquisition to active analysis and synthesis. Educational curricula must evolve to nurture analytical capabilities, supporting teachers in developing participatory mindsets among students.

Participation: Digital Public Infrastructure Platforms like vTaiwan and Decidim create transparent spaces for deliberative engagement. These digital public infrastructures (DPIs) enable real-time collaboration between citizens and experts, facilitating collective learning and decision-making.

Synthesis: Knowledge Integration Effective civic participation requires bridging diverse perspectives. Domain experts, social scientists, and co-designers work alongside citizens to integrate knowledge and build consensus.

Building Tomorrow The foundation of robust civic participation lies in an educated, engaged citizenry. By investing in both human capacity and digital infrastructure, we can empower communities to shape an equitable, sustainable democratic future.

ABSTRACT. While imagination plays a crucial role in coaching, little research has examined the conditions that enable imaginative states in this context. Psychological literature highlights imagination’s role in self-awareness (Markus & Nurius, 1986), prospection (Seligman et al., 2013), and motivation (Taylor et al., 1998), yet how coaches create environments conducive to imagination remains under explored. This study investigates the conditions that support imaginative states in coaching using inductive, reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2020) of semi-structured interviews with 12 experienced coaches, from a critical realist stance (Bhaskar, 1979). Findings identify key conditions for imagination in coaching, including (1) psychological safety, where trust and non-judgement encourage creative exploration; (2) embodied engagement, with sensory awareness and somatic experiences deepening imaginative processes; (3) attunement, where coaches adapt language, pacing, and prompts to align with clients’ cognitive and emotional states; and (4) spaciousness, allowing time and freedom from rigid goal-orientation to enable deeper imaginative thinking. By enabling mental simulation, perspective shifts, and the construction of possible futures (Abraham, 2016), these conditions support prospection and the motivation to enact change. This research advances possibility studies by highlighting how coaching can create environments that expand future thinking and facilitate transformation.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the views and experiences of Irish School Leaders (SLs) in fostering student creativity. In line with international trends (OECD, 2024), Irish educational and cultural policies emphasise creativity development (Murphy & Eivers, 2023), and the country’s distributed leadership model (Spillane, 2005) positions SLs as key figures in leading teaching, learning, and school development (Hickey, Flaherty & Mannix McNamara, 2023). However, limited research exists on how SLs perceive their role in fostering creativity in schools. This study addresses this gap by examining the research question: What are school leaders’ views and experiences in enhancing student creativity?

Using an interpretivist qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven primary and seven post-primary SLs, including principals, deputy principals, and assistant principals. Thematic analysis revealed that while SLs highly value creativity, their conceptions of it vary widely, often diverging from established definitions in the literature. A background in creative fields emerged as a key enabler of creativity promotion, as did partnerships between schools and artists. However, SLs identified inconsistencies in curricula and assessment models as barriers to creativity enhancement. These findings highlight the need for clearer policy alignment and professional development to support SLs in fostering creativity more effectively in Irish schools.

ABSTRACT. What does transformational creativity look like in action? Nationally, there has been a rise in poor wellbeing and mental health among children to one in six (Newlove-Delgado et al, 2022). This presentation shares empirical research from longitudinal work across 9 Primary Schools, embedding dramatic inquiry within the humanities curriculum to improve pupil’s social-emotional wellbeing and conflict resolution. Our curriculum co-design directly impacted over 1080 participating children. There is a lack of coherent research into what creative pedagogies are and what they do (Cremin and Chappell, 2021), particularly from learners' perspectives. We employed a pedagogical approach conceptualised as Drama Worldbuilding (Stephenson, 2023), combining story-making, drama pedagogy, dialogic inquiry, and problem-based learning. Our findings show that many children exceeded the expectations of teachers. Children were learning more through diverse communication, struggle, negotiation, and collective reasoning - discovering the power of their individual and collective voices through creative agency and action. This manifested as 8 areas of dispositional learning which were malleable, adaptable across schools and transferable across all curricular areas. Combining the concepts of transformative creativity (Sternberg, 2021), co-agency (OECD, 2019) and meta-affect (Stephenson, 2025), the research highlights new possibilities to recognise and understand how creative pedagogy activates and distributes learning

ABSTRACT. Based on Sawyer's (2012) three-level theory of group creativity and Wong et al.'s (2021) three-dimensional model of teacher group creativity, this study constructs a theoretical model of children’s group mathematical creativity from three dimensions and six elements: individual creative process (generative and evaluative practice), group interaction process (negotiation and decision-making), and group creations (novelty and appropriateness). Using a qualitative research paradigm, the study emploied methods of interaction analysis, artifact analysis, and text analysis to examine the collaborative performance of six elementary school students of varying levels in open-ended mathematical activities, testing and refining the theoretical model. The model constructed in this study offered insights into how group creativity reflected domain specificity, revealed the group creative process of children, and explored how group creativity can be integrated into K-12 education.

ABSTRACT. 'Thinking Differently' was initially conceived by Meadow Arts and the University of Worcester as a small-scale project to explore how artists think, new ways of developing creative practice in educational settings using the Reggio Approach and new ways of gathering evidence of the wider benefits of creativity. The project aimed to explore and test the potential link between how contemporary visual artists express ideas and the way neurodiverse children with ‘special rights’ or SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) uniquely approach the world and communicate with each other.

'Thinking Differently' generated tangible evidence of real impact and both participants and staff benefited in positive and unexpected ways. These participants were a neurodiverse group of children and young people based in three specialist SEND schools in the West Midlands of England, some with social, emotional, and mental health issues, some with Autism Spectrum Disorder and others with severe or complex learning difficulties or physical disabilities and complex health needs.

This case study has implications for practice and demonstrates how an arts-based intervention can help to foster positive relationships, encourage curiosity and imagination and support teachers and educators to ‘trust the process’…

ABSTRACT. Beside the world of achievement, success, and efficacy, lies another universe of meaning - one that is both the mirror and the ground of the former. This is the realm of inconclusiveness, precarity, and error. Creativity, reluctant to the constraints of its contemporary mythology, emerges in this interstitial and potential space between intention and contingency, between trajectory and itinerary, where meaning is not simply enacted, but discovered. In this presentation, we seek to challenge the conventional notion of agent and subject in a creative process, emphasizing the generative role of minor gestures, errors, chances and co-enunciations. Entangled within the semiotic environment that shapes our cognition - rich with habits, norms, objects, artifacts and other agents - possibilities await those willing to wander - and to get lost. Drawing from semiotic and pragmatist theories of cognition and experience, we will explore how creativity and intentionality can be understood through a fluid and non-linear progression, where subjective instances are substituted and reconfigured. In this framework, the creative process is not a linear path but a playful unfolding, a space where meaning emerges not from control, but from the serendipitous openness to the unexpected.

ABSTRACT. Serendipity is a concept that addresses a peculiar phenomenon in science: the act of finding or discovering something by chance or without looking for it. Since the beginning of this century, many questions and issues have arisen that consider the convolute implications of serendipity. One thing that has escaped scholarly attention is what serendipity offers us in terms of explanations. What kind of explanations does serendipity offer? And explanations of what? I aim to answer these questions by focusing on the open problems related to serendipity and its capacity for explanation in science. In the first part, I will briefly discuss why serendipity appears problematic in the philosophy of science. In the second one, I will maintain that serendipity is a term that rightfully identifies at least two sets of explanatory reasoning: one that I have called the Prospective Explanation, given during the serendipitous process, and the Retrospective Explanation, which emerges only after the research is concluded. By discussing the difference between these two explanatory dynamics, I will illustrate that serendipity should be addressed by providing why a discovery has emerged and how it is justified in the scientific context.

ABSTRACT. This presentation explores the intersection of creativity and imagination through transdisciplinary collaboration between art and neuroscience, emphasizing new pedagogic possibilities in education. The study engaged participants to reflect on learning interventions designed to foster metacognitive awareness through disruption and desynchronization of conventional inquiry patterns.

By developing and applying disruptive learning interventions, conventional patterns of inquiry or perceiving are desynchronized, making interoceptive and exteroceptive influences in shaping thought, feeling and narrative more evident to the learner. Metacognition regarding affect and sensory experience informs artistic practices by engaging episodic memory with innovative cognitive, affective, material, and environmental stimuli.

Findings indicate that the recursive nature of the creative process thrives on variation, promoting innovative pedagogies that empower artists and scientists to navigate and configure their distinct epistemologies into spaces of exchange. Integrating disruptive pedagogies not only enriches the educational experience but also raises critical questions around creative agency, inquiry structures, and possibilities for fruitful transdisciplinary and cross-domain learning.

ABSTRACT. New ideas and creative processes are vital for addressing future challenges, especially in fields like media and television. This paper explores the inception of the innovative television format known as Norwegian Slow-TV. The spark for Slow-TV emerged during a casual lunch meeting at NRK in Bergen, Norway. The idea was not born in isolation; rather, it was the result of a confluence of events and influences. Additional factors that contributed to the development of the idea included a playful atmosphere and causal connections, such as the upcoming anniversary of the Norwegian railway, Bergensbanen. This case study employs grounded theory and practice-led methods, introducing an emerging researcher-practitioner approach in media. It seeks to address the scarcity of research concerning microprocesses in real-world media challenges.

Bio Elisabeth Morney earned her Doctor of Arts from Aalto University, Department of Film and Television, where her research centered on innovation and creativity within the creative process for developing audiovisual concepts and formats. With extensive experience as a content producer and director in broadcast media, she has adopted a practitioner-researcher approach. Morney is the Director at the Global Creativity Initiative, an international collaboration that connects scholars and professionals interested in interdisciplinary creativity.

ABSTRACT. Technology and AI play ever-increasing roles in our lives, functioning as mystical “black boxes” whose inner workings remain opaque even as we become more reliant upon them. While technology offers undeniable benefits, it often detracts from real-world engagement. Drawing upon Iain McGilchrist’s insights into the interplay of attention and meaning and David Abram’s reflections on technology’s dual role as both enabler of magic and disruptor of our connection to the earth, this workshop reimagines technology’s role in ritual practices. Anthropological studies of myth cite the power of ritual in cohering the space between chaos and connection/certainty and in this workshop it serves as an alchemical “philosopher’s stone,” dissolving boundaries between physical and digital, individual and collective, to facilitate the emergence of a third space that expands both imagination and consciousness. Participants will explore how merging tangible and virtual elements creates a new whole by engaging in craft-oriented and somatic activities that integrate technology as a transformative element. This experience is an invitation and opportunity to rethink our relationship with technology, seeing it not as a necessary tool or source of mindless distraction, but as a partner in restoring balance, fostering creativity, and reconnecting to human and spiritual sensibilities.

ABSTRACT. Researching experiences of wonder and their importance for education is a promising yet relatively young field, with published studies emerging primarily in the area of science teaching and learning. Here, promoting wonder is associated with various benefits for students, including increased motivation, initiation of self-directed inquiry, authentic engagement in science practices, deeper connections with the natural world, and, for pre-service elementary teachers, enhanced confidence and capacity to teach science. Despite these encouraging findings, the ontological nature of wonder experiences remains undertheorized, with wonder considered too elusive to fully grasp. This lack of conceptual grounding hampers the development of sustained research and practical recommendations in education. This theoretical paper aims to address this challenge by situating the issue within the realm of metaphysics and exemplifying how the processual-relational philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead is well-suited for interpreting experiences of wonder. Whitehead’s aim in putting forth his metaphysical scheme was precisely in order to take all experiences into account, to understand the realm of possibilities as real, and to overcome the bifurcation of nature. Examining wonder experiences from within this broadened perspective allows us to see them as vital to the dynamic complexity of being human and becoming-with/in a more-than-human world.

ABSTRACT. Therapy dogs are trained to provide therapeutic benefits to people in hospitals, retirement homes, schools, and other community settings. The presence of therapy dogs in post-primary schools is a relatively new development in Ireland where an increasing number of schools are enlisting the services of therapy dog organisations to support the development of a school therapy dog programme in the school. Research highlighting the benefits of therapy dogs in educational settings continues to grow internationally; however, this remains a relatively unexplored area of research in Ireland. This paper reports the findings from a study investigating the role, purpose and impact of therapy dogs in post-primary schools in Ireland. The study sought to identify why schools seek therapy dogs, how therapy dog programmes are implemented in schools, staff views in relation to therapy dogs in school settings and the challenges and considerations for implementing therapy dog programmes in schools. Insights were gathered from the perspectives of staff working in post-primary schools which employ one or more school therapy dog. Data, collected via anonymous surveys and interviews, was qualitatively coded and analysed using NVivo software. Findings indicate that therapy dogs are an exciting and innovative intervention that open new possibilities in education.

ABSTRACT. In this session, we will consider the possibilities of lived experiences of interpersonal awe, specifically between humans and dogs,in Animal-Assisted Play Therapy®. More recently, awe has been defined as an aesthetic emotion because research suggests that in all clear cases of awe there was a perceived vastness and a need for accommodation for a person to make sense of the experience (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). In this session, we will wonder about the six flavors of awe: 1) Threat-based awe, 2) Beauty and nature, 3) witnessing incredible events, 4) Virtue-based awe, 5) super causality-based awe, and 6) Interpersonal awe. Recently, Graziosi and Yaden (2021) found that loved ones can elicit the phenomenological experience of awe, distinct from the quality of awe elicited by nature or general positivity, positioning this flavor of awe in the intersections of interpersonal experience. We will explore the possibility that interpersonal awe can show up between humans and dogs in animal-assisted play therapy® and why this flavor of awe is essential in building the bidirectional first-order relationship between animal-assisted play therapists and their play therapy animals.

ABSTRACT. Emerging technologies are reshaping creative expression in profound ways. While traditional creative practices in arts, music, and language learning have relied on human intuition and skill, advancements in AI-driven tools, immersive digital platforms, and robotic innovations are expanding the possibilities for the creative world. However, these technologies are often met with weariness and skepticism, seen as mere assistants or even adversaries—threatening to replace human ingenuity—rather than catalysts for new forms of creativity. This paper envisions a future 50 years from now where technologies are integrated into creative disciplines, enhancing—not replacing—human expression. Rather than diminishing human creativity, these technologies amplify imagination, making creative expression more accessible and innovative than ever before. Beyond the author’s vision, this paper incorporates insights from creative professionals to explore their perspectives on the evolution of creativity, the role of technology, and the possibilities they foresee. By exploring these transformative visions, we reimagine the relationship between humans and technology in creative fields.

ABSTRACT. Is the Anthropocene survivable (Brooks & Agosta, 2024)? In crisis-ridden times, it is evident that stewarding our planet requires stewarding society. In the face of existential threats that erode societal foundations, artist-musicians and educator-researchers must transition into activists as societal stewards. While war-like rhetoric and grind culture of constant pressure undermine personal and planetary resources, there is a pressing need for creative, regenerative practices. Drawing on Glăveanu's (2023) concept of possibility thinking, this research positions creative musical and educational practices as pathways to societal and planetary regeneration. From the transdisciplinary Soil Music project, a musio-creative practice emerged, blending regenerative, artistic, and activist methodology with music during a U.S. residency amid democratic upheaval. This approach parallels Haraway's (2016) idea of ‘humusities instead of humanities’, envisioning humans as more than just grinding, ‘planet-destroying CEOs’. The philosophy of a compost society suggests a curious companionship where music, involving both human and non-human actors, along with regenerative ideas, can inspire transformation. The presentation adopts post-human storytelling steeped in music education and social sciences. Employing technologies like data gloves and soil sensors, the musio-creative lecture-performance emulates composting's cyclical renewal. The objective is to catalyze imaginations towards envisioning societal and planetary bonds conducive to overall regeneration.

ABSTRACT. This brief introduction to the theoretical formulation of Creative Survival arises from empirical, experiential, and innovative research within a specific concealable stigmatized population of gay men. Bridging archival data from the original Grounded Theory study, reimagined through both Heuristic and Arts-Based inquiries, explores the process of sharing sexual identity and becomes a hopeful journey of the Possible. The findings reveal a rich and deeply personal synthesis of the author’s and 36 co-participant narratives across three cultural cohorts (U.S., Brazil, Turkey) sharing their process for their collective decisions to disclose. The intentional application of this critical decision-making process for other marginalized groups holds great potential and offers hope during times of great uncertainty. As the constantly changing political ideologies in the U.S. challenge our security, well-being, and any sense of a predictable future, the criticality of flexible, creative, and reality-based frameworks is essential for our survival.

ABSTRACT. Possibility studies emphasize how individuals reconstruct their sense of self and potential in dynamic, uncertain environments (Glăveanu, 2023). This study reports a training intervention funded by the Erasmus+ initiative, supporting Ukrainian refugee women in Liechtenstein to create new possibilities in their new environment. Refugees face significant challenges in adapting to new environments, and their well-being depends on psychological resilience and access to an active support network. However, available learning programs often focus on immediate language acquisition rather than mental well-being or perspectives on possibilities within the new community. This intervention broadens perspectives and fosters adaptability through guided reflection and skill development. Rather than seeking immediate transformation, it encourages gradual shifts in thinking and behavior. Implemented over three months, it combines interactive workshops with personalized online coaching. The three-phase structure includes (1) online needs analysis, (2) an onsite workshop (N=20), and (3) two individual coaching sessions. A pre-post-post research design captures participant feedback and satisfaction. Findings show high acceptance and effectiveness of the reflective framework in expanding perspectives. This adaptable model can be applied in various learning and counseling settings, supporting perspective expansion and change for future possibility.

ABSTRACT. Sustainability transitions represent fundamentally collectively imagined and negotiated possible futures. This collective nature of sustainability futures is often described as justice-as-recognition which promotes equal respect between different understandings of the past, present, and future. Currently, approaches explicitly engaging with justice-as-recognition in collective negotiations of sustainable futures in transitions remain relatively underdeveloped. In this paper, combining elements of Participatory System Dynamics with a dialogic perspective grounded on Bakhtin’s notion of polyphony (1984), we propose a stakeholder engagement process for collective imaginings of sustainability futures focusing on justice-as-recognition. Participatory System Dynamics allows for representation of multiple actors’ knowledge of socioecological systems which, in turn, form the basis for collective negotiations of possible futures. This approach can lead to shared understanding and perspective-taking but may also implicitly promote consensus. A dialogic perspective grounded in the notion of polyphony emphasizes plurality, diversity, and equality of voices, acknowledging the creative potential of engaging with different perspectives (Ness, 2017). It recognizes contestation and conflict as integral to meaningful dialogue with Others. In our approach, we use this polyphonic perspective to de-center consensus, fostering dialogue between different views of possible futures. This enhances justice-as-recognition and promotes a more dialogical imagining of collective futures towards Others (Glăveanu, 2018).

ABSTRACT. In today’s complex working environment, possibility thinking (PT)—the capacity to envision and explore new ideas—emerges as a critical driver of organizational growth. This study sets out to explore two key areas. Firstly, we explore the relationship between creative self-beliefs and self-regulation (SR) in shaping individuals’ engagement in PT. Secondly, we examine how workplace affordances might bolster or hinder this process. The study will employ a mixed-method design to guide this inquiry. Quantitatively, validated scales will be administered to assess levels of creative self-beliefs, SR, and PT. Statistical analyses, including correlation and multiple regression, will be conducted to discern the predictive roles of creative self-beliefs and SR on PT. Qualitatively, open-ended questions focus on the real-world opportunities—or constraints—present in the workplace that affect employees’ capacity to engage in PT. Thematic analysis will provide an interpretative lens to understand how organizational conditions shape these cognitive and behavioural processes. Data collection is currently underway. By integrating quantitative and qualitative findings, the study expects to offer insights into how creative self-concept and self-regulation intersect with workplace structures and practices to facilitate or impede possibility thinking. The outcomes of this study are expected to provide theoretical contributions and practical recommendations for organisations.

ABSTRACT. Innovations are vital for the development of working life, and organizations must leverage the creative potential of their entire workforce. However, research on employee-driven innovations (EDI) remains fragmented, particularly regarding their emergence. EDI refers to improved solutions developed by employees in their daily work, which can be entirely new, expanded or integrated into existing practices (Billett et al., 2022). This study explores the role of Possibility Thinking (PT) in EDI. PT is seen here as an approach that integrates thinking, actions and interactions with the environment (Glaveanu et al., 2023). It shapes how employees recognize and act on opportunities for improvement in their work. This study investigates how PT manifests in EDI and what types of innovations employees create in technology organizations. Based on mobile ethnographic diaries and interviews with technology sector employees, an ethnographic content analysis identifies three main types of EDI driven by PT: innovations for easier work, enhancing workflow and efficiency; innovations for collective action, strengthening collaboration and workplace culture; and innovations for sustainability, promoting environmental and economic responsibility. The findings underscore employees’ critical role in daily innovation in the workplace through PT.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores the creative potential of ADHD in innovation, entrepreneurship, and business, focusing on architecture and design. Traditionally seen as a challenge, ADHD is increasingly recognized for enhancing creative thinking, risk-taking, and rapid ideation—essential for entrepreneurial success. As an architect and researcher specializing in business modelling for creative industries, I investigate how the unique cognitive processes of ADHD can foster disruptive ideas, agile problem-solving, and visionary leadership.

Positioned at the intersection of creativity and entrepreneurship, this paper examines how neurodiverse individuals can leverage their cognitive strengths to innovate within business models and adapt to dynamic markets. Using qualitative interviews and case studies of successful architects and designers with ADHD, the research uncovers strategies for overcoming challenges while maximizing strengths.

The findings show that ADHD can be reframed as a strategic asset, driving sustainable business growth and expanding innovation possibilities. This paper addresses the question: "How can ADHD be an advantage for creative entrepreneurs?" It advocates for inclusive business practices that use neurodiversity as a competitive edge, redefining success in creative industries and entrepreneurship.

ABSTRACT. This Doctoral research study took place at a primary school in Ireland using a collaborative Action Research approach with school leaders, teachers and students over the course of the ‘23 – ’24 academic year where entrepreneurial education methodologies were introduced to school teaching staff and 23 pupils from one class. The research question aimed at exploring the potential cultivation of an entrepreneurial mindset in a primary school setting. The entrepreneurial education methodologies introduced to the school were informed by the study’s theoretical framework based on the four frames of: experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014); transformational learning theory (Mezirow, Taylor, 2009); design thinking methodology (Bender-Salazar, 2023) and value creation pedagogy (Lackeus, 2016). This was a qualitative interpretivist study which explored qualitative data and therefore utilised interpretation as a means for knowledge creation (Bassey, 1998). The initial research findings are very positive, demonstrating a new sense of knowledge to teaching and learning with the school leaders, teachers and students. This study appears to offer answers to the research question and as a result, could make a modest contribution to knowledge in this area in an Irish context (Trafford, Leshem, 2008).

ABSTRACT. This inventive and interactive workshop will explore the integration of Martin Seligman’s PERMA model of psychological well-being in coaching, using music as a catalyst for fostering creative thought processes, reflection and transformation. Rooted in research from positive psychology, coaching and music education, this session offers an innovative approach to unlocking creative potential while promoting well-being and positivity.

Seligman (2007, 2011) recognised that Positive Psychology and his PERMA model would be profoundly useful in coaching. Living with the realisation of a progressively changing world, in the domain of the individual in both personal and professional life, people continuously seek to enhance their creativity. This realisation has led to a significant increase and interest in creative coaching methods that support coaching for creativity (Gash, 2016; Turner, 2024). We are interested in the creative possibilities that can occur when the PERMA model informs coaching interventions by using music in diverse ways.

Through immersive, experiential activities, participants will engage in individual and group musical activity designed to explore specific PERMA components. Participants will leave equipped with practical, research-informed strategies to integrate music into coaching and professional development settings, regardless of prior musical or coaching experience.