The theme of the ACM Creativity and Cognition 2026 conference, Creativity for Change, responds to the rapid pace of change in our world and emphasizes the power of creativity in driving positive transformations.
Our conference explored how creativity can inspire and enable societal transformation, address decolonization, tackle climate action, and support place-making in urban and cultural contexts. We aimed to weave the theme of making a better world through creativity throughout the conference program.
We invited submissions across a range of categories that examine how interactive systems, design, and creative processes can foster positive change and respond to global challenges. Creativity will be the lens through which we view societal issues, showcasing how creative approaches can open up new possibilities.
Our keynote speakers for 2026 were Prof. Anna Abraham who investigates the psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying creativity and other aspects of the human imagination, and Kaffe Matthews, a pioneering music maker who works live with space, data, things, and place to make new electroacoustic composition.
Keynote speaker: Anna Abraham
Keynote speaker: Kaffe Matthews
Participation
Many thanks to the 1700+ people who contributed their time and effort to make the conference happen:
- 289 Attendees
- 28 countries
- 48 Papers (20% acceptance rate)
- 25 Pictorials (31% acceptance rate)
- 15 Art works (32% acceptance rate)
- 94 Posters (45% acceptance rate)
- 20 Demos (48% acceptance rate)
- 667 Reviewers
- 590 Authors
- 75 Program committee
- 43 Organizing committee
- 45 Artists
- 14 Student volunteers
- 11 Steering committee
Conference Topics
Creativity as a driver of positive change
Keywords: #inclusion, #accessibility, #socialjustice, #climatechange, #criticaldesign, #archive
- Studies assessing creativity in diverse contexts such as work with underserved communities and cross-cultural contexts
- Innovative platforms and digital environments that support the preservation, curation, and access to cultural heritage in museums and archives, especially in response to societal challenges like decolonization and digital inclusion.
- Exploring and supporting creativity in the context of environmental, social and technical changes.
Theoretical and empirical reflections on creativity and cognition and it’s potential for transformation
Keywords: #co-creativity, #embodiedcognition, #spatialcognition, #somaesthetics, #materiality, #sensemaking
- New methodologies and theories for evaluating the impact of computing on creativity and cognition, or designing technologies for creative contexts, including first-person methods or longitudinal studies among others.
- Frameworks to structure the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and environment in creative ideation.
- Methods for capturing, representing, and analyzing creative processes and cognition.
- Studies of creativity applications applied to different domains such as learning, work, wellbeing, health, entertainment and Arts.
Creativity at the intersection of Arts and Technology
Keywords: #GenAI, #art, #music, #performance, #design, #robotics
- Investigating how sensory feedback systems, wearables, or generative AI can deepen engagement and enhance co-creativity among performers, machines, and audiences.
- Examining the role of generative AI in composing, performing, and personalizing dynamic compositions or workflows within music, performance, fine arts or design.
- Investigations into how smart and biomaterials are being used to expand creative repertoires or alter creative process.
- Examining the collaborative and creative processes between interdisciplinary teams or crowdwork.
Creativity Support Tools
Keywords: #ideation, #sustainability, #AR/VR, #computationaldesign, #digitalfabrication
- Tools that enable creative approaches to sustainable computing and design.
- Investigations in AI-driven co-creativity including but not limited to ideation, iteration, and production.
- Tools that enhance creative environments like studios, makerspaces, digital platforms or support creativity within gaming, virtual and mixed reality environments.
- Creative systems and tools that cater to specific fields, workflows, and practitioners of all abilities.
- Creative systems and tools that facilitate the creation of virtual, physical, and hybrid artifacts and experiences, and offering new avenues for artistic expression and creativity support.