GlobAl CREATIvE lEADERSHIP SuMMIT MEDIA ... - ArtInfo

MEDIA PARTNERSHIP
LOUISE BLOUIN FOUNDATION INITIATIVES
Culture, Creativity and Neuroscience
Much of the Foundation’s work is based in the belief that understanding neuroscience is the key to illuminating
the crucial processes of creativity, innovation and human achievement. Neuroscience can also provide insights
into solving conflicts in society, supporting a move away from increasingly lethal defensive measures and toward
an understanding of the motivation and social conditioning that yield terrorist or extremist mind sets.
For that reason, the Foundation continues to support neuroscience research that sheds lights on broad issues
of concern, including how children can be socialized to reduce hostility and foster empathy and coexistence.
These are the values that will drive collaboration in the 21st century.
In 2008, the Louise Blouin Foundation sponsored research into the effect of music on the brain and its relationship
to creativity. The research was undertaken by Dr. Antonio Damasio, the David Dornsife professor
of neuroscience and director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California.
This research set out to gain better insight into how music contributes to the creative process and how new
knowledge about brain processes can be applied to education and creative thinking. The ultimate goal of the
project is to develop new tools to enhance education and learning.
China Cultures Fund
The mission of the fund is to complement the already existing cultural preservation efforts in the Tibetan Autonomous
Region (TAR) by the Chinese Government. This Fund, administered by the Louise Blouin Foundation,
seeks to obtain resources from countries, foundations, artists, corporations and private donors to further
support domestic cultural preservation efforts; to organize a series of international exhibitions on Tibetan
and Chinese culture; and to create a series of online promotional tools for Tibetan and Chinese culture. The
scope of this Fund includes the preservation and promotion of ancient and sacred Tibetan culture by addressing
areas such as art, dance, drama, history, education and environment. It also works as a vehicle to promote
Chinese culture and to encourage dialogue and cultural understanding between China and the west.