Junior Achievement Cyprus, the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO National Coordination Associated Schools Network successfully organised the 3rd Innovation Camp in the Cultural and Creative Industries, on Thursday, 14 November 2024, at the Panos Solomonides Cultural Centre in Limassol.
This year's workshop focused on the interconnection of culture and health. The topic was introduced by the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO Officer, Thekla Papantoniou. This was followed by a roundtable discussion with professionals: Dr Constantina Constantinou, Professor of Molecular Biology of Cancer at the Medical School of the University of Nicosia, Dr Nicoletta Polydorou, Social Music Educator and Executive Director of Sistema Cyprus and Dr Despina Michael Gregoriou, Associate Professor of Virtual Reality at the Cyprus University of Technology. The discussion highlighted the therapeutic benefits of creative expression both for improving mental health and reducing stress, as well as for empowering patients in the context of holistic therapeutic approaches. The need for systematic cooperation between the cultural and health sectors was also highlighted in order to use artistic practices as tools for disease prevention, treatment and personal development.
Subsequently, the participating students were asked to formulate business proposals that contribute to the improvement of healthcare and well-being through arts and culture. Utilizing technology, they identified relevant information and developed their proposal with arguments, under the guidance of professionals from the field of culture and entrepreneurship.
During the day, students were offered the opportunity to develop creative and innovative thinking, enhance entrepreneurial skills, promote communication, teamwork and problem solving, discover and address challenges in the field of culture, meet and network with people of culture and cultivate skills in presenting ideas.
The Innovation Camp was supported by mentors from the fields of culture, business and education, namely: Stavros Kyriakides (Kyriakides Piano Gallery and Avantgarde Cultural Organization), Andria Meletiou (Department of Contemporary Culture, Deputy Ministry of Culture), Petroula Hadjittofi (Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO), Marios Kakouris and Eleni Tovletian (JA Cyprus).
The students were accompanied by their teachers, who had the opportunity to watch the series of episodes "Myths of Cyprus" of the Press and Information Office at the Limassol Municipal Library.
JA Cyprus (www.jacyprus.org) is a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide, a global non-profit organization specialized in youth entrepreneurship education that aims to empower them with entrepreneurship, financial literacy and employability skills.
The Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO belongs to the global network of national bodies, which cooperate with UNESCO for the implementation and promotion of programs and activities that fall within the five main thematic areas in which the Organization is active: Education, Natural Sciences, Culture, Social Sciences and Humanities, Communication and Information. The UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet) has been active in Cyprus since the school year 1969-70, under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, in collaboration with the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, developing actions in the fields related to the development of letters, arts and sciences, the natural environment, cultural heritage and human rights.
For more information visit www.jacyprus.org and www.unesco.org.cy websites or contact Emily Sotiriou (phone: 97-715909, email emily.sotiriou@jacyprus.org) and Thekla Papantoniou (phone: 22809810, email: tpapantoniou@culture. gov.cy).