Transformative Creativity

As time goes on, we are rebuilding and regrowing from a year of hardships. As 2021 comes to an end, there is more hope than ever before in this time of a pandemic, political issues, and societal changes. The sun still sets and illuminates the sky with its warm oranges and yellows. The globe still turns. The trees still wave in the wind. And as time goes on, more creativity sparks. Ultimately, it is creativity that is moving us forward. The Global Grad Show is an event that commemorates graduates who have put their creativity towards making this world a better place with groundbreaking ideas. Such ideas make the world brighter. Through this show, big issues of our time are addressed by even bigger inventions and solutions. Read more about this year’s Global Grad Show here in Transformative Creativity. 

This event proves that big change is all around us. Although our worldly problems are not small, we need not fret as there are big minds to generate big and beautiful solutions. On November 8, 2021, the seventh edition of the Global Grad Show took place unveiling 150 projects that serve as big solutions to today’s big complications. These are ideas that could change the trajectory of our lives. Ideas that will have a gigantic impact on how we live our lives. Ideas that have the potential to revolutionalize the way we live forever. It is safe to say, it is a pretty big deal. 

Not only are these entries are ones that are addressing and breaking down global problems, but they are works that come from around the world. In fact, this year’s event is the largest to date for the creators in the United Arab Emirates. 

“This year’s Global Grad Show is the largest and most diverse edition to date in reach, depth and university network, with a 70% rise in the number of universities submitting entries since 2020”. 

The boundless amount of diversity constitutes a more meaningful exhibit and more coverage of our earths’ creatives. Such diversity demonstrates how several techniques can work together to achieve common aims.

The show is an initiative by the Art Dubai Group, which is a programme for graduates in universities around the world whose research and ideas can aid in the resolution of major social and environmental problems. Global Grad Show, which began in 2015 and is now in its seventh edition, brings together academics from over 70 countries and 600 universities in fields ranging from biomedical engineering to urban design and data sciences, from the world’s most prestigious academic institutions to local colleges in developing markets.

The Global Grad show is the “ work of young minds addressing complex issues around the world through their social impact innovations.”

The entirety of the event is representative of this months theme of ‘big’ in so many lovely ways. Big issues are being solved by big creations from people around a big number of countries. 

Some of this year’s submissions include: 

·   A lower-body exoskeleton rehabilitation system for children with cerebral palsy. Pratt Institute, US

·   An anti-greenwashing browser that blocks content from unsustainable brands. Royal College of Art, UK

·   A tech toy to help children with autism with emotions and communications. San Francisco State University, US

·   A solar-powered robot that lives in the desert to plant seeds. Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, UAE

·   A diet-controlling smart speaker that pairs food with music. Royal College of Art, UK

·   A biodegradable baby mattress made from banana fibres. Lausanne School of Art & Deign, Switzerland

·   An electronic tool that enables people with disability to independently draw. University of Brighton, UK

·   An adaptable cushion for pregnancy that allows for longer, comfortable sitting. University of Pennsylvania, US 

·   Acoustic-based mood tracking to monitor for mental health. Keio University, Japan

·   A biodegradable raincoat made from corn husk waste. University of the Arts, London

·   Biodegradable cling film made of gin. Glasgow School of Art & University of Glasgow, UK

·   A photosynthetic skin, which generates energy from light harvesting. Elisava School of Design, Barcelona, Spain

·   A pain free glucose test for diabetics, based on exhaled breath.  Zhejiang University, China.

·   A wireless sensory device to help premature babies bond with their parents; Uni. of Arts and Design Linz, Austria

·   A thermal camera attached for smartphones which scan for fevers. Rizal Technological University, Philippines

·   A ball that can detect signs of life in areas affected by natural disasters areas. Zhejiang University, China·  

·An exoskeleton hand for stroke rehabilitation patients. Santos Dumont Institute, Brazil

If you enjoyed reading Transformative Creativity, why not check out Better Together here.

Images from Global Grad Show. Find out more about the event here.