The debate at the Muzeu was the highlight of Creativity Week, with musician Pedro Abrunhosa’s reflections standing out.
Creativity Week, organized by the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP) in Braga, reached one of its most memorable moments with the panel discussion “What Is the Power of Creativity?,” which brought musician Pedro Abrunhosa to the Muzeu. The panel also featured UCP Rector Isabel Capeloa Gil and Professor Sergia Adamo from the University of Trieste.
Since October 12, this initiative has sought to reflect on creativity as a “human characteristic” and as a response to today’s major challenges, from a “philosophical and interdisciplinary perspective,” explains UCP in a statement. Through Friday, the 16th, Braga will host colloquia, tours, and special sessions dedicated to this theme.
Creativity Week is taking place as part of the European university alliance Transform4Europe (T4EU). Its institutional coordinator, Francisco Mendes Palma, highlighted the “friendship” that unites ten universities from various countries, including UCP, and emphasized the institution’s role as a promoter of the event.
Ricardo Barroso, a professor at UCP’s School of Philosophy and Social Sciences and one of the organizers of the initiative, stated that it has “exceeded our expectations.” The professor expressed surprise at the creativity of the students, who came from all over Europe and presented solutions to “very concrete” issues, such as waiting times at hospitals and the spread of fake news.
José Teixeira, chairman of the board of directors of dst—the group that owns the Muzeu—stated that the partnership with Creativity Week “is a perfect fit” for the group he leads. Speaking to Correio do Minho, the businessman noted that dst has been offering philosophy classes to its employees for eight years.
Around 6:30 p.m., one of the most eagerly anticipated moments of Creativity Week began. UCP Rector Isabel Capeloa Gil, Italian professor Sergia Adamo from the University of Trieste, and musician Pedro Abrunhosa took the stage to discuss the “power of creativity” in the age of artificial intelligence.
Augusto Soares da Silva, a professor of linguistics at UCP, introduced and moderated the debate.
“I cannot think of creativity without thinking of new forms. We are facing a series of unprecedented challenges and problems, and we need creativity to develop solutions to these problems,” stated Ricardo Barroso.
In her remarks, Isabel Capeloa Gil emphasized that it is the university’s role to “be a creative institution,” fostering dialogue and co-creation. The UCP rector stressed that creativity “cannot be taught,” and that it is up to academia to “create the conditions for it to develop and flourish.”
For her part, Sergia Adamo questioned the idea of “genius” as a synonym for creativity, lamenting that this trait has historically been attributed almost exclusively to men.
Pedro Abrunhosa delivered the most eagerly awaited talk of the afternoon. The singer-songwriter reflected on the “scars, marks, and pain” that accompany the creative process, which involves both the “hells” and the happiest moments in an artist’s life.
For the musician, creativity “is born within us” and reflects our life story. “Creativity is the search for ourselves; we need to find a purpose in this life,” he stated.
Pedro Abrunhosa also warned of the risks of artificial intelligence, identifying “control over the political agenda” as one of the greatest dangers of this technology. Even so, he considered that it does not represent “the end of the world.” In his view, artificial intelligence “is not creative,” since it was trained by humans and “copied everything from them.”
In closing, the Porto-based musician left a message of confidence in human potential: “Creativity runs deep and is there for us.”
The debate was preceded by an official visit by a delegation from the Portuguese Catholic University to the Muzeu, as part of Creativity Week.
