The first greater Middle East & N.Africa International Creativity Congress Spring 2007

Interviewed live on Dubai Eye Radio Network, Amirsadeghi revealed that the project has been brewing in his mind for some time given the lack of international-class creativity in the region.

"We intend to bring together the world's leading creative gurus and practitioners to address both cutting-edge developments, and to seek understanding for the problems facing creativity in general in the region," said Amirsadeghi.

Questioned as to the reasons why creatives in the region fare poorly when compared to creative hotbeds like New York, London, Sao Paulo or Bangkok, Amirsadeghi said that there were a range of issues that block creativity, not least being the lack of respect for creative enterprise.

"The question of ossification in cultures, social mores, traditional mindsets, political and religious constraints and the role of education all play their part. We should not be afraid to address such issues and find ways to remedy them to ensure social and economic progress in a peaceable manner. We dare not not address them," he said "lest we want to fall further and further behind in the culture scales, the power and influence of creativity extends beyond international borders."

Amirsadeghi, a leading protagonist and cultural activist, author and international publisher, set-up theBite last year with a view to highlighting regional creative talent and to spearhead change in perceptions and attitudes towards creativity in the Middle East and Arab world. The magazine has gone on to become a real arbiter internationally creativity.

"We need to show the world the talent potential in this part of the world, and we need to focus our own minds on how we can remedy the cultural deficit that makes us so dependent on Western cultural content: from cinema to television, web to graphics, design to architecture.

'Most of all, we need to learn to nurture and promote creative talent. It is a disgrace in my mind to see that every regional creative worth their salt on the international scales gains success and recognition outside their own continent. There's a considerable talent-drain in the negative, when you come to think of it."

The Creativity Beyond Borders conference will be a 2-day event held in the UAE to be attended by some 500 delegates, with a workshop component and an open forum debate chaired by a leading international moderator aired in real-time on global network television.

Keynote speakers, iconic brand leaders and expert practitioners from the realms of creativity, design and architecture will promote a unique forum for substantive issue debates, networking opportunities and workshop learning experiences.

"We do not want to make just another international gathering for glad-handing or photo opportunities, this event will be the real creative deal."