For all organizations, artists and businesses from the creative economy who want to develop their organisation in terms of partnerships and connection with audiences, we have prepared three training videos.
In the videos you will get acquainted with:
● the concept of "vitality" and its relationship with the sustainability of the organization;
● the creative ecosystem with the author's model of Dr. Petya Koleva;
● European cooperation strategies;
● current possible forms of support from some key EU programmes;
● examples of current projects useful for additional work;
● the process of preparation, implementation and implementation of innovations through jointly created projects and solutions;
● the role of cultural organisations today;
● marketing and audience attraction;
● The role of team dynamics in the vitality of organizations;
● the experience of the participants in the trainings.
Check them out here.
In 2023, we held two trainings on the topic of "Vitality" of cultural organizations in March in Sofia and in August in Plovdiv. In total, 33 participants across the country benefited from trianing input by 7 international and local experts: Dr. Petya Koleva, Milena Berbenkova, Nadia Mihova, Josiane Frank, Tsveta Andreeva and Dr. Stephen Maliet, Antonia Dimitrova from the Collective Foundation.
In addition to the connection with experts, a useful part of the program was also the introduction to the business models of spaces for cultural cooperation with the participation of Veselin Dimov from RCSA "Toplocentrala" and Violeta Lazarova from "Traveler's Club" and Sofar Sounds Sofia. The participants in Sofia also met with the musical artists Floralin and Amira, and those in Plovdiv had the opportunity to get acquainted with the Hristo G. Danov House Museum.
A project of Interkultura Consult was implemented with the support of the National Culture Fund.
A more detailed publication on key points here by Petya Koleva published
So, what about Bulgaria? There is a certain anticipation on the part of EU partners as well as within Bulgaria around shaping a new vision. Where are the cultural and creative industries of Bulgaria heading? Are the CCI organizations in Bulgaria finding ways to scale, move forward or grow wider in their EU funded partnerships?
4 vital themes brought practice and current EU objectives together in working scenarios.
1 Sustainable teams &workflow
Nadya Mihova, a HR expert, brought to the table insights into ways in which even micro (cultural) organisations or micro/small (creative) enterprises and associations can recruit the right team members. Those professionals are to be seen rather as ‘flexible team’. Not only is the new work force unstable, new CCIs jobs in Bulgaria are also often project-based while the work force is highly qualified... Instead of worrying about this, we learned to formulate the right questions to establish the true motivation of potential candidates or volunteers and to be able to assess their soft skills in particular.
Whenever renumeration is less competitive to other -tech sector, the approach is an open dialogue.
A useful source to set your watch on the creative job markets is the research on slash/ workers. Read it here and find out what artists and platform-based workers have in common. Information about Bulgaria is also available!
The process in which a team moves is not only higher; it is also forward towards its business goals! This was the second focus point in the topic. The essential steps that sustain this process for teams in any industry, anywhere in the world are 5 ... and the foundation one of them is Trust. Often feedback within our teams is insufficient as we prioritise work and results. Useful suggestion on how to offer positive and critical feedback to our teams were well appreciated.
2 circulareconomy and vitality
Josyane Franc, an expert in international collaboration in design, presented the way arts and design engage citizens to create a space of vitality that is accessible for everyone. In fact, Human Cities existed before similar objectives were proposed by the New European Bauhaus, (hashtagneb). One of the best examples of the way a Biennale of Design has scaled up in Europe is the one of Saint Etienne. It was the process to establish the public-private, academic-business-citizens platform of Cite du Design. This led to the title of a UNESCO creative city. (Sofia is a hashtagunesco city of Cinema!) These awards are powerful engines for network-initiatives of CCIs in convivial design (one that is focused on user needs and social ones) and for sustainable life.
This session illustrated the winding but fruitful path to formulating a successful proposal in a Creative Europe programme and to value the benefit of (several) experiences of consolidation. Once partners have established rapport in working together they can address not only urban challenges – as in the Human Cities project. They also address rural settings as in spin-off projects as the current one - SMOTIES- how creative works with small and remote places contribute to sustainable development. …
How to measure impact when transformations engage diverse groups in many difference locations in the same city, in many cities in the same country, many cities in different countries, conferences...? This is a key question for any EU funded or nationally, locally funded project partnership! Ongoing use of data collection forms are one way. Another way is the capturing of the change of perspectives in people’s views. This last apprpoach uses forms such as interviews and process documentation of long-term impact. Unforseen impact, positive and negative, is also to be monitored. For example, has the spark of city-public contact produced some civic initiative for long-term use of governance of public recources? Or the emergence of businesses that offer creative solutions to public space? This was the case presented by our next expert from Bulgaria's NEB recognised initiative.
Antonia Dimitrova, a design expert from The Collective Foundation, provided an introduction of circular economy to general audiences by offering group work tasks. She also shared a NEB insight via civic-engagement initiatives transforming public river spaces through culture and design. These are not only funded as cultural, audience-related project fundgind. In the first instance it was through tourism programme. Public space interventions open new possibilities for municipal utility functions and a change in rules and regulations. These relate to use of public space furniture to private partnerships. The new initiatives of The collective as in collaboraiton wiht a private partner.
3 economic sustainability and creators – Audiences relationship
Milena Berbenkova, an audience development specialist of ICC, focused on the perception of audiences and why it matters to CCI organisations today. We learned that audiences are hugely important in the assessment of the #games industry and its future because they forecast trends and their impact on emerging industry regions in the EU, such as Bulgaria, is vital. Preliminary results of Intercultura's Humans at Play study were shared which offer exciting opportunities for new activities in 2023. Among other aspects, its focus is to assess the ratio between tech and creative skills which young people associate with the gamesindustry and how they approach the path of building those skills.
Previous Intercultura research has showcased the fluidity of taste specific to online audiences and the rising demand across disciplinary boundaries for online contemporary arts offers. Certainly, this does not offset interest in offline cultural life, which remains high, especially after the pandemic. Rather, there is a clear need for organisations to gear offers towards these interests locally (in Bulgaria or in the very town they are located), as well as regionally (SEE, Balkan region) and involve target groups in more engaging ways.
Steven Malliet from LUCA School of Arts in Belgium presented current artistic practice-based research in film connecting partners across the EU. It expands the focus of film research towards reuse of old techniques and ways to reach audiences. The FilmEU project, supported by Horizon Europe is expanding its partnership - in Sofia it is NATFA. Vitality raised attention to the fact that the Horizon Europe programme supports not only research but also integration activities whereby specific support for emerging business models allows CCIs to upgrade monetisation and audience reach.
4 Economic sustainability: partnerships and co-creation
There are technologies that originate from creators ... over time they have evolved and have shaped the distinct ways in which cultural and creative industries operate. Creators, organisations and co-exist and nurther each other ... This theme introduced a clearer understanding of why the organisations that wish to address some of the known deficits of the cultural or creative ‘market’ should start the process by establishing a focus point/a departure point that is clear. Economic sustainability is only achievable in partnerships that offer support across the ecosystem. Petya Koleva, expert in process design and innovation, and director of ICC, presented a tool to locate the focus point of an initiative and its relation to various support instruments. Issues ranging from copyright and intellectual property to the broader focus on protecting the rights of the public too are becoming more and more urgent as creative value chains innovate. In that respect, proper definition of partnerships and co-creation presents the departure point.
Specific new forms of support are available and will be object of other trainings. Some include the European Union programmes focus on measures to support innovation in the field of cultural and creative industries. Not only within the Creative Europe 2021-2027 programme for culture and media that foster cooperation but also its cross-sectoral focus. The Creative Europe programme supports also the EU network of Creative Hubs, several of them visited Sofia on March 1, for the SEE Summit hosted by CreaTech Bulgaria. Intercultura partners with two hunts in our new project - Collab 4 HySust CCI and this collaboration is only bound to grow.
Other specific calls include thehashtagEuropean Institute of Innovation and Technology launch of the new hashtagKnowledge and hashtagInnovation hashtagCommunity (hashtagKIC) Transforming Europe’s Cultural & Creative Sectors and Industries. This is important as Bulgaria also participates in the consortium, call is opening in April 2023. The HorizonEurope programme, as the largest R&D programme in the world,is offering multiple instruments to support artistic research as well as creative industry innovation. It further serves as a horizontal frame for innovation in cultural heritage and other CCI related sectors such as tourism, education, museums, libraries, fashion, games and more. Widening the participation to new and accessing members states is a valuable focus for the SEE region. An important reminder is the timing of preparation and network approach to building a consortium which was discussed in practical ways. This session provided a tool with 5 golden rules to sustain preparation and results in a continuum.
Tsveta Andreeva, public policy manager in the European Cultural Foundation, brought in the important dimension of understanding how public policy is being monitored when it comes to EU priorities for culture and creativity (including the Recovery plans at national level). She shared the practical way certain instruments for advocacy at EU level develop and the added value of European partnerships that extend and feed back into European networks. In practice any arts discipline; any creative or cultural organisation should be active as a participant in those networks, not only to feed data for EU research or act as a Bulgarian (associated or full) partner. This participation is a way to base new concepts on state of the art that is accessible from the Networks reports and calls for action. Intercultura for example participated in the structured dialogue on (Re)-Engaging Digital Audiences in the Cultural Sectors. Improving Audience Data
Practical work: new CCI business models and co=creation
The practical work in groups was further inspired by of the presentation of 3 business models:
Toplocentrala's model of functioning as a Bulgairan contemporary interdisciplinary arts space, serving the fee arts scene as well as scientific and cross-disciplinary needs was presented by its director Vesselin Dimov,
SoFar Sounds Sofia and the Traveler's Club Sofia were presented by Violeta Lazarova, who shared some tips and tricks on survival tactics when your mission it so bring young talent to the attention of local audiences. We enjoyed this in practice with the artistic showcase of 2 female music artists
The Vitality project was also among the first stepping blocks for Intercultura locally to gather momentum towards our NEW Creative Europe supported project Collaborative Innovation for Hybrid and Sustainability Uptake in Cultural and Creative Industries (Collab4HySustCCI) Vitality is a project realised with support of the National "Culture" Fund, Bulgaria.