ISPOCC (Initiative for the Study and Practice of Organized Creativity and Culture) is an interdisciplinary group at Columbia University created in 2013. The group’s goal is to connect theory and practice in creative and cultural fields. To accomplish this, the group brings into dialogue academics from different disciplines and practitioners working in creative fields such as haute cuisine, music, publish and the visual arts. Our hope is that such a dialogue will enrich both theoretical and practical perspectives on creativity and cultural markets and organizations . The members of the group include faculty, post-doctoral scholars and doctoral students working in disciplines ranging from art history to economics, management and sociology. An interdisciplinary community allows us to learn about the differences and commonalities that characterize our study of culture and creativity. In the process, our hope is to create a community of scholars and practitioners who can learn from each other and advance theory and practice.
One of our key initiatives it to invite practitioners to discussion forums to share their experience and insights. The formats of these forums vary depending on the speaker and the themes they want to cover. Recent forums include hands-on workshops led by speakers as well as seminar style presentations followed by Q&A. Examples of forum themes include the use of visual tools to aid culinary innovation and evolution of an art discovery company which relies on the tools of art history and computer science. Our hope is that such exchanges will serve as a catalyst scholarly and practical endeavors across disciplines and creative fields .
We believe bridging theory and practice on culture and creativity requires taking the perspective of producers and consumers. In that spirit, we take advantage of our location in New York City to explore art galleries, eateries, architectural landmarks and the numerous cultural marvels that the city offers.