Article by Diana Filip – Deputy CEO & Chief Development Officer
Are you passionate about developing entrepreneurial skills in the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) and becoming a cultural heritage entrepreneur?
Over the past decades, it has been a common understanding that creativity is a living process that can and should be trained and improved. EU prioritizes cultural and creative entrepreneurship and the EU policymakers have placed creativity and culture at the center of European priorities, identifying them as tools to diversify the economy and the labor market.
How are culture and creativity interconnected in entrepreneurship?
“Entrepreneurship is when you act upon opportunities and ideas and transform them into value for others. The value that is created can be financial, cultural, or social” 1, based on the definition by the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship and adopted by the European Commission. Creative and cultural entrepreneurship activates initiatives that promote innovative and sustainable ideas. It has been reported that culture is a tool to foster entrepreneurial value, innovation, sustainable development, and performance.
Cultural heritage includes tangible culture (such as buildings, monuments, landscapes, archive materials, books, works of art, and artifacts), intangible culture (such as folklore, traditions, language, and knowledge), and natural heritage (including culturally significant landscapes, and biodiversity).
A business idea can be developed around any of these concepts. A creative and cultural business can promote cultural heritage (i.e. specialized marketing, tourism) make cultural heritage more accessible (i.e. gamification to create interest, re-create visuals of destroyed places and objects), support other operators in the cultural heritage sector to face challenges (digitalization, AI, sustainability), and be a service provider in the cultural heritage sector (enabling the someone else to be a cultural heritage operator, such as providing specific materials to a restauration company).
However, the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) face essential transformations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the green and digital transitions. The sector, consisting of 99% SMEs or micro-enterprises, strives to attract new talents and meet new skill demands. It employs 8 million workers across 1.2 million enterprises throughout Europe, mainly under the status of self-employed staff and part-time/non-permanent contracts, creating a high level of insecurity. The Creative and Cultural Industries are vital for ensuring the continued development of societies and are at the heart of the creative economy.
Aiming to tackle these challenges, JA Europe coordinates, together with a consortium of 11 partners across 6 EU countries, the Cultural BEES project, providing young people with practical training and education enabling them to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and expertise to become successful cultural heritage entrepreneurs. It aims to entice, engage, and equip young people with the skills to enter the cultural and creative economy and to allow their creativity, entrepreneurial and business skills to bloom.
Youth keeping up a weaving tradition can be as much a cultural enterprise idea as a sustainability consultant to a historical festival or a game developer working with a museum. An interesting aspect here is to understand which skills the sector needs, which challenges it faces and with what ideas youth can come up to find solutions to these challenges. Here are a few examples of ideas that came out of the Enhancing culture with entrepreneurial skills – Innovation Camp in Cultural and Creative Industries organized by Junior Achievement Cyprus, the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO Associated Schools Network of Cyprus: Interconnection of the handicraft sector with the folk tales of Cyprus for the creation of new publications and handmade constructions; Creation of DIY packages for crafts combined with online construction programs and actions to support craftspeople; Creation of a platform and E-shop to connect craftspeople with professionals in the field of interior design, while facilitating learning and transmission of different types of handicrafts.
At its core, the “Cultural BEES” project represents a remarkable partnership between UNESCO Cyprus and JA Cyprus, united by a shared commitment to fostering entrepreneurship skills within the Cultural and Creative Industries sector.
“Global trends are showing that culture provides multiple responses to these current challenges such as climate change, rising inequalities, and new technologies. Young people are also the future guardians of our rich, diverse heritage and dynamos for fresh ideas and creativity.2 ” UNESCO Cyprus (CNCU) (Associated Partner) promotes cultural heritage preservation and economic development, contributing to the project’s goal to create sustainable cultural heritage businesses and training opportunities for young people.
Join the Hive!
If you want to know more about creative and cultural entrepreneurship, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay updated on our latest developments, news, and opportunities and much more to engage with the Cultural BEES community.
Cultural BEES Ecosystem Forums have been implemented in Bulgaria and Italy and are about to be launched in Cyprus, Slovenia and Poland, bringing together young people and stakeholders in an inclusive space for discussion, exchange of ideas and collaboration among the Creative and Cultural Industries community.
Learn More
Visit our website https://www.culturalbees.eu/introducing-cultural-bees/for more information about the project, goals, and to stay tuned.
Let’s create a hive of innovation and creativity together! 🐝✨
Notes
1. EntreComp: The entrepreneurship competence framework
2. Cutting Edge | Youth and Cultural Policies: Coming of Age
