Innovation Talk

We don’t like to address the Nobel laureates as Nobel winners,because it shows that the rest of us are losers. There could be a winner of the Nobel in this room,” says Tobias Degsell,curator at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm. Degsell was in the city on Tuesday to conduct a workshop on creativity,which was hosted at St Xavier’s College by the Consulate of Sweden’s office in Mumbai. The museum houses stories of Nobel laureates through various features such as portraits and prize citations along a unique cableway on the ceiling. However,due to limited space,it came up with a novel idea of keeping the legacy of these laureates alive. Thus,a workshop titled “Spark of Creativity” was conceptualised.

“The theme for the workshop is creativity,which is a common trait among all Nobel laureates,” says Degsell,who has been conducting the workshop in India since 2010 and has taken it to several countries such as Russia and China. The workshop aims to encourage people to think differently and inculcate the need for a curious and creative mind among students and professionals. Coinciding with Rabindranath Tagore’s 100th Nobel anniversary,the workshop also highlighted his creative process through a film.

This year,the workshop also travelled to Delhi,Kolkata,Pune and Hyderabad. It’s Mumbai edition was attended by nearly 40 college students and professionals.

During the workshop,Degsell also touched upon facets of persistence,communication,diversity and collaboration — all of which are vital for the creative process. “These key words have been engraved on the floor at the museum,” he said. The Spark of Creativity workshop,which combines inspiring stories with practical exercises,is held regularly at the museum for corporates and academic institutions.

meenakshi.iyer@expressindia.com