CreativesAtWork: Breaking Barriers Through AI Together

What if creativity had no limits? With AI, creators of all abilities can dream big, create freely, and break barriers once thought impossible.

Launched by CreativesAtWork in January 2025, AI CoCreateSG is a series of AI co-creation workshops designed to empower Singapore’s creatives, including persons with disabilities (PwDs), by using Generative AI (Gen AI) to spark meaningful societal change. The workshop series fosters collaboration between creatives and PwDs, creating a space to learn, co-create, and tell stories that matter.

“We’re building a community where AI serves as an equaliser, levelling the playing field by providing accessible tools and opportunities that empower everyone to reach their full creative potential,” said Jayce Tham, Chief Businesswoman of CreativesAtWork.

This inaugural run saw over 30 participants, including nine PwDs, embark on a creative journey where AI became a tool for storytelling, skill-building, and professional growth. With the guidance and support of experienced mentors, participants were introduced to AI-driven storytelling techniques, with the goal of creating SG60-themed short films that featured at least 50 AI-generated images.

Participants took a proactive approach to learning during the workshop, using Gen AI tools and taking meticulous notes.

Participants engaged in hands-on sessions that encouraged collaboration with one another, bringing together diverse perspectives to co-create meaningful narratives.

Participants in three progressive workshops explored how AI can promote inclusivity and boost creativity. To set the stage for their collaborative projects, the first session covered AI productivity tools and practical exercises, while the second provided them with the AI skills necessary to organise their thoughts into coherent, captivating stories. Finally, the third workshop used AI tools and video production technology to make these inclusive stories come to life. Each group wrapped up by presenting their ideas completing storyboards, and discussing how to keep promoting inclusiveness using AI and creativity.

The workshops created an environment for conducive discussion with team members and mentors.

“Co-creation is the most direct way of helping to upscale and upskill the creative community whether it is for able bodies or PwDs,” said Jayce.

Participant Jeremy Koh agreed, “It was fun, exciting and enriching learning about AI technology. I’m proud to have learnt to generate images, music, and videos with AI tools like MidJourney and Suno. This has helped me scale up my creative production, quickly generate drafts, and focus on refining my work. It’s empowered me to be more creative and strategic.”

The three-day workshop provided an interactive and experiential learning environment, allowing participants to engage in real-time problem-solving, teamwork, and creative exploration. What started as a technical training session quickly became a platform for building authentic connections, where any societal perceptions of disability in the creative industry were challenged.

Transforming Skepticism into Confidence

While some participants initially had concerns over AI's place in the creative process, they changed their mind when receiving firsthand exposure to AI tools firsthand, using AI in video production and storytelling. Through these experiences, they developed confidence and a clearer understanding of AI's potential as a creative partner that supports their ideas while fostering inclusivity.

Participants not only learnt about AI, but also experienced how it could amplify their creativity, and were eager to use it to its full potential. The teams organised separate meetups outside of the workshop to refine their short films and actively collaborated with their mentors to push their creative ideas further.

Daniel Yam, who mentored the participants in filmmaking, said, “Everyone has good ideas and they need to be heard. They have potential and talent to create work and contribute to the community. I’m grateful for the opportunity to guide them and even learn from them.”

The AI CoCreateSG short films created during the workshop were showcased during a special cinema screening on April 25. The screening celebrated the participants’ cumulative efforts and showcased how AI-driven storytelling broke barriers, shifted perceptions, and created the foundation for a more inclusive creative industry.

The Road Ahead

AI CoCreateSG was brought to life with the collective support of SG Enable, Singapore Pools, and NVPC, whose funding, outreach, and venue sponsorship were instrumental to its success.

“We've seen firsthand how digital literacy can open doors to new opportunities, bridge social divides, and improve lives,” said Jayce. “Digital for Life is about empowering individuals and communities to thrive in the digital age. It means continuing evolving with the new tools and technology and making digital a common commodity for all, benefiting persons of all walks of life instead of enlarging the digital divide. We're excited to see more Digital for Life initiatives emerge, and we're here to support those efforts in any way we can.”

Participants learnt how to develop their ideas into concrete photos and videos

Shaping the Future of Digital Inclusion

Digital transformation is not just about technology, but about the people whose ideas and creativity can be enabled with it.

“We want to shift from inclusion as an initiative to inclusion as the norm. Our goal is to build an ecosystem where PwDs are active participants in the creative economy, not just beneficiaries of support,” said Jayce.

By integrating AI into the creative process, CreativesAtWorkis fostering and enabling new talent, bringing fresh ideas and unheard voices into the creative sphere. Initiatives like this help Singapore move towards a future where everyone can find a place in the digital economy.

Leong Tung Seng, a participant, shared, “I think this project will create jobs and vast opportunities for PwDs and hope there will be continuity. We hope we can use AI to show our creative side.”

AI CoCreateSG proves that when given the right tools, support, and opportunities, creativity knows no limits. For those inspired by this movement, the message is simple: digital inclusion starts with action.