What began as an idea at a conference in Poland last year became reality in November as 20 Danish innovators travelled to The Banff Centre to explore creative leadership. The three-day program was so successful that it has evolved into an international partnership between The Banff Centre and the Danish School of Education, University of Aarhus.

The partnership began when Nick Nissley, the Centre’s director of Leadership Development, and Lotte Darsø, associate professor of innovation at the Danish University of Education, met at an arts-based learning conference in Poland. They discussed ways to engage Darsø’s students in learning about creative leadership in an inspiring setting. Banff was the obvious choice.

The program Darsø brought to the Centre, Leadership and Innovation in Complex Systems, is one of the only programs in the world to focus exclusively on leadership and innovation. The Banff Centre provided an ideal location for students to experience arts-inspired innovation.

“It was a great success,” says Darsø, lead faculty for the program, and co-founder of an international masters degree in leadership and innovation at the Learning Lab, Denmark, Danish School of Education. “My intention is to integrate The Banff Centre into our programming every year.”

Nissley agrees and looks forward to continuing the partnership. “When you think about it, an academic program from Denmark coming to North America is a big leap. They usually travel somewhere in Europe for this module, so it’s something they really had to consider. It speaks to the value the world places on The Banff Centre – the recognition of our pioneering role in arts-inspired creativity and innovation.”

During their visit, the Danish innovators explored all the Centre had to offer. They took time for reflection, attended a music concert, and delved into the artistic side of leadership at an exhibition featuring works by Dr. Nancy Adler. A professor at McGill University and a member of Banff’s Leadership Development Advisory Board, Adler is also a visual artist. “The Banff Centre…gives artists back ‘sacred silence’ – the essence of life – without which there is no creation,” says Adler, talking about the time she took to reflect and create at the Centre.

Attending Adler’s exhibition also gave the Danish students an opportunity to interact with Aboriginal leadership participants. “The meeting of these groups brings to mind a concept called intersectional innovation,” says Nissley. “Intersectional innovation refers to the creative energy that is harnessed when we bring together diverse individuals from multidisciplinary backgrounds, and give them a creative space to generate new possibilities.“

“Metaphors say to look outside the box for innovation,” he explains. “Really, we need to go to the centre of the box, bringing together diverse groups. It is in that mix that creativity truly happens.”

The Danish participants embraced their creativity in Banff. They worked with ceramics facilitator Ed Bamiling, discovered the art of storytelling with Nick Nissley, and went for nature walks and built eco-sculptures with creative programming director Colin Funk, and ecologist-in-residence Keith Webb.

“The participants had a very deep experience,” explains Darsø. “It was a time for focused reflection on their leadership. During that reflection some important changes took place. At the end of the day you can’t change anyone. They can only change themselves.” This program provided the perfect opportunity for change, reflection, creativity, and innovation, an experience that both Nissley and Darsø hope will continue to shape leaders from Denmark at the Centre, for years to come.