cultural and creative sector : something to stand for!
TRANSCRIPT
CUltUral aNd CreatiVe seCtor:
SOMETHING TO STAND FOR!
CULTURAL AND CREATIVE SECTOR:SOMETHING TO STAND FOR!
Published by: 3C 4 INCUBATORS
Coordinated by: A.M.I. - Aide aux Musiques Innovatrices
Co-financed by: MED Programme - European Regional Development Fund
October 2014
www.3c4incubators.eu
INDEX
I OBJECTIVE OF THE PUBLICATION 7
II THE PROJECT 3C 4 INCUBATORS 7
III WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT THE CC SECTOR? 8
IV THE CC SECTOR: A BRIEF OVERVIEW 10
V THE REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM 13
VI CULTURE AND ECONOMY: A SUSTAINABLE BALANCE 21
VII CULTURAL POLICY: A MEANS TO AN END IN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT 24
VIII RECOMMENDATIONS 25
IX BIBLIOGRAPHY 33
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I OBJECTIVE OF THE PUBLICATION
This publication aims to highlight the importance of the cultural and creative sector in local and regional
development and intends to be a statement of principles at the decision making level.
Through several chapters (in a synthetic approach), this Position Paper will present the cultural and cre-
ative productive sector in the 3C 4 Incubators regions (from the existing business framework to its ecosys-
tem) and will advocate the idea that cultural initiatives/business are fundamental for creating critical and
responsible citizens, to generate economic value and employment, to promote social innovation and to
add value to other sectors in a chain impact frame.
This approach will be based on the experience of the previous partners and on the related outputs and on
the emphasis of good practices and experiences identified by the partners.
II THE PROJECT 3C 4 INCUBATORS
The Position Paper “Cultural and Creative Sector: Something to Stand For” is part of the 3C 4 Incubators
- Culture Creative and Clusters for Incubators project.
The project started in July 2013 and results from the merger of four prior projects that focused on promoting the
cultural and creative sector as a factor for territorial development, along with social and economic innovation.
It is argued that culture, within its various programmes and manifestations, can become a factor for the
enhancement of societies in general, through an articulated and effective participation of the various sec-
tors involved: the state, municipalities, organizations, and citizens.
The 3C 4 Incubators project is financed by the MED Programme – the European Territorial Cooperation
Programme for the Mediterranean, in a stage that can be regarded as capitalization. Some projects that
have already been concluded in the European territory must be divulged, amplifying their visibility to their
respective target audiences, creating synergies and potentiating future actions and inter-actions.
It is necessary to benefit from the experience and data that have been acquired, in order to fine-tune priorities and
new guidelines, and to express the significance of local realities, with the intention of “universalizing” the values
under consideration, thus improving the forthcoming features of European territorial cooperation programmes.
In essence: to make the best possible articulation between knowledge and practice in spaces that are more
sensitive to cultural intervention.
The 3C 4 Incubators project has been developing activities addressing the following areas:
• Theculturalproductivesector(designandpromotionof“tools”andmethodologiesforsupporting
the activity of cultural organizations and to promote cooperation between those organizations);
• Frameworkstosupportthecreationofsuchorganizations(knowinganddefiningmodelsforcul-
tural incubators and their potential articulation with other creative structures, along with the as-
sessment of the necessary supporting services);
• Territory(initiativesaddressingorganizationswithdecision-makingpowersand influence in the
supporting policies for the cultural sector; initiatives to promote the study, debate and creation of
guidelines for the next programming period).
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III WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT THE CC SECTOR?
Artistic expression is at the same time a method/way to deliver freedom of expression, an entertainment
contents’ provider, a mutual and self-recognition process, an identity building tool, the transcendence of
everydaylife.Thesefunctionsaredifferentandpossiblyconflictual.
Fundamental changes of paradigm have occurred in recent years, which directly affect local cultural devel-
opment:
a) Changes in the Economy Context In current years, the leadership in global cultural industries is in a process of complete turn-over, due to a
total revolution in the nature and function of the Cultural Object, and in the nature of distribution channels.
To make a simplified analogy: Hollywood is being replaced by Google. The Artefacts Production units are
submitted to the rules of the Digital Distribution networks. This is affecting local development as well as
the global world.
At the same time, new investment funds appear, having at their disposal enormous amounts of liquidity to
be invested in the fields of cinema, book publishing, music entertainment, digital games, media, education,
etc...The following international experiences may be mentioned: The Shanghai Culture Industry PE Fund
has 1.16 billion euros to invest, the Providence Equity Partners (USA, UK, China, India, South Africa) have
37 billion US dollars to invest. These numbers can be compared with dedicated regional local funds of all
kinds for their creative industries.
Not to mention the rise of internet/telephone global companies becoming content publishers. Today, large
mobile telephone networks start their own music and video publishing companies, engaging contracts di-
rectly with the artists. What we used to call the world of major companies is in rapid and complete motion.
The idea that public initiatives, launched by such institutions as European Union or its member-states,
could directly challenge these new bulldozers is a mirage. It would require financial means that are current-
ly out of reach. However, there is room for hope.
The strategies of these new bulldozers are based on centralised programming, hasty capital circulation, the
rapid turn-over of products and brands, and enormous, instant benefits. They neglect the so called “niche
markets” (“small” specialized markets), highly specialized markets and their customers, with high add-
ed-value on each product, and a long-lasting “satisfaction effect” on the customer, and they neglect local
networks as well... they consider they cannot make enough money out of them.
Considering these new paradigms, it is necessary to diversify the approaches and to “fulfil the empty spac-
es”, not yet controlled by these new massive operators.
In recent times, cultural activists have developed interesting experiments: cultural micro-business incuba-
tors, micro-funding schemes, shared co-working spaces, “fablabs”, local institutional networks to support
cultural start-ups, direct online markets, short distribution circuits, peer-to-peer exchanges of all kinds, etc...
Although these new networks are still fragile and under improvement, we believe that it is nevertheless the
only path to a dignified, independent, autonomous, ethical and diversified “really-free” market.
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b) Changes in the Institutions ContextAnother change is the already long way that local authorities have proceeded as far as their local creativity
forces are concerned.
There is a major misunderstanding that stems from the confusion between local cultural industries and
global cultural industries. Although Europe puts them in the same basket, the second ones probably repre-
sent the main threat to the first ones.
They do not share the same goals, they do not function in the same way, they do not have the same time
frame, they do not require the same type of investment, the same type of human resources, etc... Unfortu-
nately, today, at the institutional level, it seems that the interests of global cultural industries prevail.
This has led, for example, to priority being given to the “Golden triangles” of creativity (for example Lon-
don/Amsterdam/Paris) where all the big players (media, publishers, financiers, main artistic venues) are
concentrated, becoming magnets attracting creative people through an irresistible one-way mobility, there-
by brain-draining the peripheries. The fringes of these golden triangles are considered “raw material” re-
serves, free-of-charge providers of R&D, and we assist in fact to the deprivation of these local authorities of
the benefits of their investment in education and training.
But things are beginning to change. Whatever one thinks of the Lisbon Treaty, it has pushed forward local
authorities to try to be seen by the rest of the world as creative sources. They cannot achieve this position
without treating their own creative people well, to whom they must also look attractive (in order to avoid
their own desertification).
We must also remember that in many European countries, including France, local authorities are by far, and
have been for many years, the first public financiers of creativity.
Combined with the different neighbourhood policies, or the different bilateral agreements with third coun-
tries, the three objectives of the Structural Funds (convergence, regional competitiveness, and co-opera-
tion), re-assert clearly that an inter-regional approach cannot be disconnected anymore from the European
External Policy. Therefore, Europe must now integrate into its future model not only the Europe of Nations
and their Golden Triangles, but also the instant and multi-lateral network of local European communities.
In short, the shifting/sharing of cultural power from the national level to local authorities (public or private)
seems to be a serious political challenge for nations.
This movement cannot be stopped. It should be understood, integrated, negotiated and planned, since
cultural policies cannot develop properly before this power issue has been cleared up.
Any periphery is a centre. This is all about the History of Humanity.
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IV THE CC SECTOR: A BRIEF OVERVIEWCreative and Cultural Industries constitute a driving sector for the European economy. In 2011, European
CCI companies employed 5.9 million people (source: European Cluster Observatory).
In addition to this official data, it is also worth mentioning that a wide proportion of human resources and
organizations in the sector have not been considered: sole traders, independent professionals as well as
cultural associations, are not included in these statistics. The impact of the CC sector is therefore wider
both in terms of employment, wealth creation and subsequent tax contributions.
Studies have shown that CCIs have a very positive impact on regional growth1: “regions with a high concen-
tration of creative and cultural industries have Europe’s highest prosperity levels” and that they contribute
to the development of urban areas while also keeping rural areas alive.
They are also generators of intellectual property and highly contribute to the employment of qualified people.
CCI are diffused in most European countries as shown by the map below:
Source: European Cluster Observatory
In terms of the presence of CCIs, the table below shows the diffusion of firms and number of employed
people in all 27 EU countries. Even if the national leaders in terms of employment in CCIs are the UK and
Germany, the sector is well represented in several Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy and France,
and firms based in all 8 Mediterranean countries employ altogether 39% of CCI workers:
Countries Employees Firms Percentage - employment
Austria 110,058 27,264 2%
Belgium 93,442 10,672 2%
Bulgaria 60,606 13,844 1%
Cyprus 12,789 3,329 0%
Czech Republic 150,079 37,742 3%
Denmark 81,287 17,957 1%
Estonia 15,454 3,689 0%
Finland 75,535 18,886 1%
1 D. Power, T. Nielsen (2010), Priority Sector Report: Creative and Cultural Industries, European Cluster Observatory
11
France 562,181 94,372 9%
Germany 946,020 88,856 16%
Greece 134,662 2%
Hungary 77,945 1%
Ireland 48,644 9,118 1%
Italy 664,847 250,758 11%
Latvia 34,545 4,478 1%
Lithuania 22,597 6,417 0%
Luxembourg 11,250 2,045 0%
Malta 1,716 1,539 0%
Netherlands 359,262 140,055 6%
Poland 249,377 159,443 4%
Portugal 119,906 56,559 2%
Romania 128,914 27,329 2%
Slovakia 27,431 3,657 0%
Slovenia 25,171 13,604 0%
Spain 632,603 211,100 11%
Sweden 139,653 111,899 2%
United Kingdom 1,134,509 N/A 19%
Total EU27 5,920,483 1,314,612 100%
Med. Countries 2,293,528 528,731 39%
Source: European Cluster Observatory, data for 2011
If EU regions are considered, Mediterranean regions and the main cities are also well ranked: 9 Mediterra-
nean regions are among the top 25 EU regions.
Region name CCI Rank CCI Employment
Île de France (Paris) FR 1 279,361
Inner London, UK 2 239,983
Lombardia (Milan) 3 175,580
Madrid, ES 4 164,269
Cataluña (Barcelona), ES 5 139,278
Lazio (Rome), IT 6 113,531
Danmark 7 98,866
Oberbayern (München) 8 94,178
Attiki (Athens) GR 9 88,195
Outer London, UK 10 86,884
Kozep-Magyarorszag (Budapest), HU 11 79,281
Zuid-Holland, NL 12 78,183
Berks, Bucks and Oxon (Oxford), UK 13 76,097
Noord-Holland (Amsterdam), NL 14 74,685
Andalucía (Sevilla), ES 15 70,914
Köln, DE 16 68,825
Stockholm, SE 17 68,212
Lisboa, PT 18 67,929
Berlin, DE 19 66,051
Veneto, IT 20 61,285
Niedersachsen, DE 21 59,486
Darmstadt (Hanover), DE 22 58,965
Piemonte, IT 23 58,068
Emilia-Romagna, IT 24 58,029
Surrey, E and W Sussex, UK 25 57,837
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CCI has struggled to be defined as a specific economic sector as it includes several sub sectors. At the
European level, the so-called “ICC standard” includes: culture, arts and entertainment; media and cultural
industries; creative services (architecture and engineering, design, advertising, business communication,
software consultancy and supply); crafts and related activities.
Generally speaking, the CCI presents the following features2:
• fewlargecompanies,whichhowever,holdahugeshareoftheturnoverofthesectorandcontrol
its resources;
• almostexclusivelymicro-enterprisesthatneedtobeveryflexibleinordertosurvive;
• useofnon-conventionalformsofemploymentsuchasshort-termcontracts,frequentjobchanges,
multiple jobs at the same time;
• manyself-employedprofessionals,whooftenacceptbelow-averagecompensation;
• companiesfrequentlyaggregate,outsourceandmanagemultipleprojectswithothercompaniesin
order to seize market opportunities;
• thefocusisonthecreationanddevelopmentofproducts,ratherthanondistribution(whichis
seen as secondary);
• poorvisibilityofinnovationprocessesintheICC:only3%comefromR&Dactivities.
Due to the dimensions of this specific sector, the European Union has, in recent years, identified the cre-
ative industries as a strategic sector for economic development and social growth.
Since 2007, the initiatives of the EU have been growing, from the recognition of the economic importance
of the cultural and creative sector to a real political strategy (supported by a series of funding programs) to
strengthen the field of creativity and innovation.
Below is a graph with main EU initiatives:
2007 - Lisbon
Treaty, Art.167
2009- European
Year of Creativity
and Innovation
2010 European
Agenda for Culture
Europe 2020
Public Consultation
and European Creative
Industries Alliance
European Agenda for
Culture 2011-2014
program
2007 2010 2014
• Media • Cultura 2007-2013 • 7FP (specific calls) • Competiveness and Innovation Program (CIP – specific calls) • Interregional and Transnational Cooperation Programs (specific calls)
Horizon 2020 and
Creative Europe
Key docs: • Green Paper 2010 – Unlocking the potential of cultural and creative industries • "Promoting cultural and creative sectors for growth and jobs in the EU" (2012)
During the 2007-2013 programming period, the creative sector has been supported, albeit indirectly, by
multiple funding programs such as those supporting territorial cooperation (Interreg, Med, Central Europe
and South East Europe), the 7th Framework Program, the CIP (for activities related to innovation and re-
search), and Culture and Media programmes.
2 The Entrepreneurial Dimension of the Cultural and Creative Industries, School of Arts of Utrecht, (HKU) 2010
13
In the current Program Period (2014-2020) the new program “Creative Europe” has been launched, and
covers several aspects, which range from the preservation of linguistic and cultural diversity to the support
of the competitiveness of the cultural and creative sector. The total budget of the program is 1.8 billion
euros (of which 900 million will support the audiovisual sector and 500 million the cultural sector) and
represents an increase of 37% compared to current levels of expenditure on these issues.
V THE REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM 3C 4 Incubators partners represent Mediterranean regions with very specific features that will enable us to
locate their particular framework conditions and help identify areas to be further developed.
A. REGIONAL PRESENTATION
a. Alentejo CentralAlentejo Central is a cultural region par excellence. It is around 7,393 km2 large and encompasses 14 councils,
all of which with their own traditions and cultural practices. There is a low population density if compared to
the European average. Alentejo Central is characterized by a preserved rural landscape, shaped by distinct and
high standard elements, such as cork oak, and it includes classified Sites such as Monfurado and Cabrela.
The main city of Alentejo Central is Évora, the district capital, a place with a long-standing historic and cul-
tural heritage. Conquered by the Romans in the second century B.C., Évora was home to the Court during
the Middle Ages and Renaissance Period, which gave a boost to its cultural life by fostering important hu-
manists, Italian painters and other important figures. Thanks to this, not only Évora but the entire region
inherited an important amount of Cultural Heritage whether in the form of countless monuments and
classified sites, or when it comes to cultural practices, such as, for instance, the work of the great compos-
ers from the Escola de Música da Sé de Évora, a prestigious polyphonic school of the 16th century, which
has followers to this day. The city of Évora itself was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage city in 1986.
Throughout the whole of Alentejo Central, every little village is built around a castle, reminding passers-by
of ancient battles and conquers, and there are museums of folk culture as a product of the people’s pride
and identity, most of them exhibiting local handicraft, gastronomy, or local traditions.
Being a predominantly rural region, the Cultural and Creative Sector is not yet organized as such and there
is great potential to be explored. The region has also high tourist attraction potential associated with the
strong cultural identity based on its tangible and intangible assets.
b. BasilicataBasilicata is a small region - about 600,000 inhabitants - settled in the South of Italy. Being off the path of
traditional tourist routes, one does not stumble across this region accidentally but chooses to visit it in
searchofanewexperience,lookingforplaceswheresilence,colours,scentsandflavoursremovethevisitor
from the frenzy and stress of modern life and offer unique sensations. The woods and forests that cover the
mountainsarestuddedwithsmallandcharmingvillages,wherepureair,genuineflavoursandnatural
beauties are combined with very interesting historical and archaeological sites. Dating back to the Palaeo-
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lithicerathisregionhasnotonlybeeninfluencedbythenaturallywarmandwelcomingItalianwayoflife
but by the Greek, French, Spanish and Arabian Invaders that marched through the land throughout the
ages. Basilicata region’s potential lies in a strong and high-quality tourism sector based on its extensive
natural resources and cultural assets. Basilicata is amongst the regions with the largest protected area – as
an example, the Pollino National Park is Italy’s biggest natural park – that’s why Nature represents a great
tourist attraction.
From a cultural point of view, Basilicata also counts on important resources. The driving force of the “cul-
tural Basilicata” image is the city of Matera, whose urban values and landscapes led to UNESCO recogni-
tion. The other art cities of Basilicata are Melfi, Venosa, and Acerenza. Melfi was already the capital of the
Norman-Svevian reign, the city of the constitutions of Frederick II, a traditional landmark of the route across
the castles of Apulia and Basilicata; Venosa is the homeland of the poet Horace and the great composer
Gesualdo da Venosa; Acerenza is known for its important cathedral: significant sites for their historic, cul-
tural, artistic and monumental heritage.
This small region can boast two beautiful coastlines: the Ionian Coast to the south-east, characterized by
sandy beaches, making it perfect for families, and the Tyrrhenian Coast to the west, with its sheer cliffs
leading to a network of beautiful sandy coves, ideal for the adventurer. The Ionian coast is also very import-
ant for its archaeological sites of Metaponto, Siris and Policoro, being part of the ancient Magna Graecia.
The current regional strategy aims at emphasizing these natural and cultural assets and their capacity to
create unique experiences that attract visitors to the region and trigger a multiplier effect across other sectors
in the region through the development of smart sustainable management of cultural and natural resources.
Basilicata’s unique strengths - natural beauty and cultural heritage as well as art, design and gastronomy
– will enable tourism to grow in the region if they are well combined and taken advantage of.
The cultural heritage in this region is further enhanced by the presence of substantial intangible resources
such as festivals, rituals and traditions. Food, wine and gastronomy also represent very important resourc-
es, being often part of integrated cultural and tourism offers.
In this framework, the awareness of the important role of CCI as a strategic sector and as a factor of devel-
opment is continuing to grow. Moreover, the candidacy of Matera for European Capital of Culture 2019 is
attracting many young artists, designers, creative people: this is leading to the creation of a cultural and
creative community throughout the territory, and making CCIs a powerful catalyser for employment, growth,
exportation and profits, cultural diversity and social inclusion.
c. East SwedenEast Sweden Region has 430,000 inhabitants and covers an area of around 10,000 km2. The region is the
fourth largest in Sweden, and is located two hours south of Stockholm, three hours northeast of Gothen-
burg and three hours north of Malmö.
The population density is 40 inhabitants per km2, with a concentration of inhabitants in the central areas. The
northern and southern areas are less densely populated. The major cities, Linköping and Norrköping, have
continued to grow, while the population in the surrounding areas is decreasing. The age structure of the re-
gion corresponds to the nation as a whole, facing the same demographic challenges as the rest of Sweden.
Norrköping and Linköping, with their surrounding smaller towns and villages, are in the process of devel-
oping into one coherent, integrated urban region – Sweden’s fourth city region. The structure of the region
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– with large cities and small towns, surrounded by countryside, all within a relatively compact area – pro-
vides numerous opportunities for living within reasonable commuting time from many workplaces.
This area has a relatively young population compared to other Swedish regions. In terms of population
growth (natural and migration) and business growth, it is a region that is expanding. Being a university
town, Linköping is long-established as a centre of learning and culture. The University of Linköping also
plays an important part in future economic growth as it provides quality education in the fields of technol-
ogy and IT (games and software) for the region.
In recent years, the East Sweden Region has been involved in several projects in the CCI-area, mainly fo-
cused on policy recommendations and on business development.
Several cultural institutions exist in the region, namely the museum of Östergötland; the Norrköpings
stadsmuseum, a City museum with history and development exhibitions; and the Östgötateatern, the larg-
est theatre in Sweden.
Concerning education, the University of Campus Norrköping KSM, teaches culture, society and media de-
velopment and the GDK teaches graphic design and communication.
This a dynamic region in terms of music production and events with its Norrköping symphonic orchestra.
The Bråvallafestivalen also takes place in the region, being Sweden’s largest music festival.
A very important and innovative approach to the cultural sector support is provided by Hallarna, a nonprof-
it organization that runs a quarter/block in central Norrköping. This structure acts as a cultural incubator
and also gathers a set of multifunctional spaces, such as two concert stages, three theatre stages, several
rehearsal areas, offices, studios, exhibition areas and workshops. Hallarna had 18,000 visitors in 300 events
in 2013, and about 500 people working, rehearsing or creating every week.
d. Emilia-RomagnaEmilia-Romagna is a region in Northern Italy that is home to four million inhabitants. The region includes
important natural resources – sea side, mountain areas and natural parks - and several urban centres. The
region has 7 towns with over 100,000 inhabitants and, therefore the economic activity as well as cultural
resources and offers are well distributed all across the region.
Emilia-Romagna has a very long cultural tradition, being the cradle of the Etruscan civilisation since the 9th
century B.C. Emilia-Romagna boasts a large amount of archaeological evidence of this important history
and the region has more than 200 historical monuments and archaeological areas and nearly 200 muse-
ums and art galleries. Ravenna, Modena and Ferrara have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage
List and in 2000 the European Union assigned Bologna, the main city of the region, the honour of being
“European Capital of Culture”. The city of Ravenna was also one of the candidates for becoming the “Euro-
pean Capital of Culture”.
Emilia-Romagna also has a long and important musical tradition. The Philharmonic Academy of Bologna,
founded in 1666, gathers musicians from all over Europe. The region is also a fertile ground for other music
genres, such as jazz music. The first “Bologna International Jazz Festival” was organized in 1958 and the
city became a meeting place for the most important artists of the time. In addition to music, Emilia-Romag-
na has an interesting theatrical tradition, both for prose and dance. In this field, one actor is the National
Dance Foundation in Reggio Emilia that has been, since its founding in 1978, the main company for pro-
duction and distribution of dance shows in Italy.
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The region also has strong connections with the film industry. An example of this is the rich register of films
directed in Bologna by important movie directors from the region such as Pier Paolo Pasolini, Pupi Avati,
Bernardo Bertolucci and Federico Fellini.
The region is host to many festivals and several professional fairs. Festivals are based on traditional culture
but also on “new cultures,” for instance, when considering only the music sector: the Verdi Festival in Par-
ma and Ravenna Festival are important initiatives for opera and classical music whereas the ROBOT festi-
val is one of the largest initiatives to diffuse electronic music in Italy and Angelica is both a festival and a
research centre for music.
There are also several fairs for the sector in the region. Both organized in Bologna on an annual basis, Ar-
teFiera for the art sector, and the Children’s Book Fair are both among the largest of their kind in Europe.
Due to the importance of the sector and resources in the region, CCI has been identified in recent years as one
of the main targets for regional development. The Region Emilia-Romagna has already launched several initia-
tives to support CCI companies and has included this specific sector in its strategic plans for future develop-
ment. CCI is indeed one of the target sectors that have been identified in the smart specialization strategy exer-
cise conducted by the region to launch its next actions under the ERDF programming period for 2014-2020.
e. LazioLazio is one of the most important regions for Italian, European and world culture for its historical, artistic,
archaeological, architectural, religious and cultural contents. The immense extraordinary legacy of the city
of Rome is just one of the hundreds of places of interest, which includes towns, churches, monasteries,
monuments and various sites in the region.
The historical centre of Rome, the extraterritorial properties of the Holy Seat in the city and the Basilica of
St. Paul Outside the Walls are among UNESCO ‘s world heritage protected sites. In Lazio, Hadrian’s Villa
and Villa d’Este in Tivoli and the Etruscan necropolis of Cerveteri and Tarquinia are among the most im-
portant known archaeological sites.
Lazio is - without doubt – one of the richest Italian archaeological areas, even when not including the huge
open-air museum which is the City of Rome.
In Rome there is also Cinecittà, a complex of soundstages of excellence and international renown, which
have been active since April 28, 1937. More than 3,000 movies were filmed at Cinecittà, 90 of which re-
ceived an Academy Award nomination and 47 actually won the prestigious statuette. Famous directors,
national and international, have worked there: from Federico Fellini to Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scors-
ese and Luchino Visconti.
Since 2006, the International Film Festival of Rome is held in autumn, at the Auditorium Parco della Musica.
Rome is the largest university centre in the region, with several universities, both public and private, having
their seats here. The best known, and the largest by number of subscribers, is the La Sapienza - University of
Rome, which in addition to the many branch offices in Rome, has a branch in Latina, in Rieti and in Viterbo.
Rome is also home to the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, one of the oldest musical institutions in
the world. It has its seat in the auditorium Parco della Musica. Established in 1585 by the Papal Bull Ratione
Congruit issued by Pope Sixtus V, and invoking the two main saints in the history of Western music: St.
Gregory the Great, who gave his name to Gregorian chants, and St. Cecilia, the patroness of music. Initial-
17
ly created as a congregation for artistic purposes and welfare, over the centuries it has become an interna-
tionally acclaimed Academy for its importance.
The Lazio region surrounding the capital has at least a hundred archaeological sites worthy of visiting: from the
great sites of ‘Classical Archaeology (Ostia Antica, Hadrian’s Villa, to name a few) to the charming sites of Etrus-
can archaeology (the necropolis) scattered in sunny Tuscia, to the remains of Streets, Bridges, Mausoleums,
Aqueducts scattered everywhere, which made the joy of romantic watercolorists on their Grand Tour. A consid-
erable number of the Civic Archaeological Museums complete the picture of interest for tourists and devotees.
f. MalagaMálaga is a city and the capital of the Province of Málaga in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia,
Spain. The metropolitan area of Málaga has a population of 600,000 people (568,507 in 2010). It is the
second most populous city of Andalusia (after Sevilla) and the sixth largest town in Spain.
Málaga’s history spans about 3,000 years. The city was founded in 770 BC by the Phoenicians as Malaka.
From the 6th century BC it was under the power of Ancient Carthage. In 218 BC it was also ruled by the
Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire it was under Islamic
domination for 800 years. In 1487, during the Reconquista, it again came under Christian rule.
The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make
the historic center of the city an “open museum”, displaying its rich history.
Recently Málaga was nominated as a candidate for the 2016 European Capital of Culture.
The city has a great number of museums and art centres, such as: the Picasso Museum Málaga, Picasso´s
birth house, the Carmen Thyssen Museum, the Revello de Toro Museum, the Contemporary Art Museum
(CAC Málaga), the Wine Museum, the Flamenco Museum and the Automobile Museum. Around thirty
museums in total are scattered around Málaga city.
In terms of yearly cultural activities we can mention: the Spanish Film Festival, the Málaga Theatre Festival,
the Málaga Jazz Festival and the Fantasy Film Week organized by the University of Málaga.
The most important artists of the Twentieth Century, the internationally acclaimed painter and sculptor
Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga. Hebrew poet and Jewish philosopher Solomon Ibn Gabirol and the
actor Antonio Banderas were born in Málaga as well.
Málaga has shown its enormous interest in the CCI sector, with 2 incubators dedicated to CCI companies
established by PROMALAGA, a City of Malaga development agency, recently constructed, important cultur-
al infrastructure and several projects to re-generate specific districts in the town.
g. Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur – MarseilleWith almost 5 Million inhabitants, PACA is the third region in France in terms of population density. Cultural heri-
tage, infrastructure and initiatives are widespread all along the region: 2,255 historic monuments, 213 museums,
450 libraries, 180 cinemas etc... The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region is unique in the French regional landscape:
• itisthethirdregioninFrance(aftertheregionofParisandRhoneAlpes)forculturalemployment,
and Culture is among the 5 biggest job providers in the region. It has the biggest amount of summer
festival activities and audiences (Avignon, Cannes, Aix en Provence, to name only the most famous).
18
• onecoulddividetheseactivitiesintotwobigfamilies:(1)alleventsconcerning“summer”activi-
ties, such as festivals, heritage tourism, and all related activities, (2) all year-long daily activities, like
in any other region.
• anotherremarkabledivisionistheoneexistingbetweentheeastandthewestoftheregion,both
having their own “capital city” (west: Marseille, east: Nice) with a very different cultural action pro-
file, different cultural market profile, and different customer expectations.
• finally,inmanyotherregions,thereisalsoacleardifferencebetweenbigcitiesandruralareaswhen
it comes to cultural life.
All these differences introduce very different job profiles and durations, different local cultural development
schemes, different financing schemes, different partnerships, etc...
Policymakersintheregioninfluencingthesectorare:(1)linkedtothenationallevel-theRegionalDirection
for Cultural Affairs3 (DRAC-PACA) as well as (2) developed regionally: the Regional Council4 and more local
(3) developed at the “department’s” levels5. Régie Culturelle PACA6 ensures control on behalf of the Area
on the whole of the artistic fields.
There are also organizations specific for sub CC sectors: for instance the Arcade7 accompanies the devel-
opment of performing arts in PACA. It develops its activity around several areas: information, orientation
and the council; observation of the performing arts; the development of competences; the dialogue of
professional environments; artistic valorisation and the installation of a training scheme.
In terms of direct support to CC sectors, there are several key infrastructures. In Marseille, La Friche de la Belle
de Mai provides working spaces, promotes and supports more than 70 organisations, all artistic and cultural,
while its neighbouring Pôle Médias gathers organisations and companies in the cinema and media sector.
In Arles, the Pole for Cultural Industries and Heritage (Pôle Industries Culturelles et Patrimoines) is a terri-
torial tool of economic development and structuring of cultural and patrimonial subjects).
Support for new companies and artists is also widespread. In addition to cross sector structures, specific
organizations are also available.
Among those, A.M.I. has been working for more than 25 years on the artistic, cultural, civic and economic
development of territories in the public interest. As one of the first organisations established in La Friche la
Belle de Mai, A.M.I. has developed a complete support process for its users. Through the “platform DYNA-
MO”, A.M.I. offers 4 different resources: the incubator (CADO), the hotel for artistic companies/collectives
(FUNDUK), international activities (KOUROU) and spaces for temporary or long term hosting of organiza-
tions that specialize in cultural economy (Les Grandes Chaises).
The diversity of players, resources, and initiatives ensures that a global regional cultural policy embracing
all these aspects in a coherent and efficient way is an objective for the future.
3 http://www.culturecommunication.gouv.fr/Regions/Drac-Paca
4 http://www.regionpaca.fr
5 http://www.cg13.fr
6 http://www.laregie-paca.com/
7 http://www.arcade-paca.com/
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h. SloveniaSlovenia has a well-developed network of cultural institutions, organisations and associations, which is com-
parable to the most developed European countries. A relatively colourful cultural life exists not only in bigger
cities, but also in more rural areas of Slovenia. Despite the polycentric organisation of cultural institutions,
the most important source of funding (around two thirds) in Slovene culture is governmental. The public
sector plays a very important role for CI in Slovenia and Ljubljana. Privately owned firms represent only a
minor part of the cultural sector. Furthermore, even generally privatised sectors (e.g. publishing, film, music
distribution and production) generate a significant share of their budget from public sources.
Most cultural institutions are located in the capital city Ljubljana (located in the Ljubljana Urban region).
The estimation is that around 60% of all Slovenian cultural events, infrastructures and also people, working
in culture, are concentrated in Ljubljana; therefore Ljubljana is a city of culture. For citizens, culture is a way
of living and thinking and very much a part of everyday life and is not regarded as the concern of an elite
minority. More than 10,000 cultural events take place in Ljubljana each year, among which there are also 10
international festivals. The inhabitants of Ljubljana and its visitors can admire artists from all different
fields, including music, theatre and fine arts to the alternative and avant-garde. Looking at the size of its
population, Ljubljana has, on a European scale, an above-average number of museums (22), galleries (53),
theatres (10), and artistic and cultural events. It is home to one of the oldest philharmonic orchestras in the
world. The first music society in Slovenia, the Academia philharmonicorum was founded in 1701 and in-
cluded some renowned honorary members, such as Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes
Brahms, Niccolo Paganini, etc... It facilitated the development of music production in this area and was a
vehicle for baroque music. Besides the Slovene Philharmonic, Ljubljana also has three other orchestras, a
ballet company and drama theatres. The driving force behind many of the cultural events in Ljubljana is
Cankarjev dom, which annually hosts more than 1,200 cultural events. Ljubljana’s identity is also linked to
the fine arts. The two central institutions in this field are the National Gallery and the Museum of Modern
Art. Ljubljana also has the highest concentration of independent cultural producers in Slovenia comprised
of associations and private institutes.
The issue of creativity and CI has been in and out of policy discussions in the last years. However, there are
still specific overall policy frameworks within which the Slovene creative industries can be promoted and
developed. There is no programmed and systematic support for the creative industries. While there are
some activities for the support of CI, carried out by different ministries or agencies, the main findings, re-
garding the creative industries policy on the national level, are the following:
• Sloveniadoesnothaveacreativeindustriesordesignpolicy;
• Creativeindustriesordesignarenotincludedinnationalstrategicdocuments;
• Inthepast,therewerecertainactivitieswithregardtocreativeindustries(9th Development group
for creative industries) but they were not prosecuted;
• Withsomeexceptions,describedabove,therearenopolicymeasuresforthesupportofcreative
industries or design. Specific measures are not connected and coordinated;
• Thereisnolinkbetweenotherpolicies(e.g.innovationpolicy)andcreativeindustries/design.Thefirms
are consequently not well informed and do not take advantage of existing opportunities (for example
design expenses as part of R&D activities support). An overall, multisectoral approach is needed.
There are institutions supporting creative projects and people. The most important is the RCKE (Regional Creative Economy Centre)8, a regional hub-coordinator which acts as a connecting point within CI (cluster-
ing) as well as between CI and other industrial branches (business chains). RCKE provides assistance for
obtaining financial resources for projects with business potential. The main aim of RCKE is to train and
8 http://www.rcke.si/
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connect creative individuals from creative industries with companies in other industries, thus creating con-
ditions for achieving business success based on multi-disciplinary development processes. The territorial
focus of RCKE is the Ljubljana Urban Region, while organizationally it is also part of the Regional Develop-
ment Agency of Ljubljana Urban Region (RDA LUR). RCKE has its funding within EU projects (Creative
Cities, CCAlps), MEDT and RDA LUR. Members of the RDA LUR Board include the Chamber of Commerce
of Slovenia and the Municipality of Ljubljana.
e. ValenciaThe Valencian Community (CV) is the third most important territory containing activities related to cultural
and creative activities in Spain, behind the metropolitan areas of Madrid and Barcelona.
According to data provided by the European Cluster Observatory, the CV could identify 50,000 positions in
the cultural and creative sector in 2008, which is 2% of the total workforce. This figure is below the nation-
al average of 2.8%, although in a very different situation, since we have the cases of Madrid and Catalonia
(5.9% and 3.5% respectively) and the rest of the regions with lower values, only Baleares, Navarra and the
Basque Country are above 3%.
From a territorial point of view, according to other studies, one of the remarkable features of the creative
ecosystem is that although it primarily pivots around the metropolitan areas of Valencia, Alicante and
Elche, it also occurs with intensity in medium-sized cities such as Castellón -Benicassim-Villareal, or the
cities of the Central Counties (Gandia, Denia, Alcoy i Xativa).
The comparative advantages in the CCI sectors for Valencia basically derive from 1) a critical dimension that
is sufficient, 2) a balanced urban structure of metropolitan areas and appropriate sized cities, 3) a network of
powerful universities, and 4) a sufficient proportion of young people with high education levels. Indeed Valen-
cia in 2011 showed some specialisation inside Spain, in sectors related to arts and entertainment services.
The main differentiating factor of Valencian cultural resources is the existence of a federated network of
over 540 musical societies, forming a dense network of musical training and practice.
In terms of historical resources, we can also identify the relevance of Mediterranean cave art paintings, all
the Iberian, Roman, and Moorish heritage, and the memory of two significant periods: the first being in the
fifteenth century, during the so-called “Valencian Golden Age”, and the second being the transition between
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The first period corresponded to the Valencian dominion over the
Mediterranean, through the figures of the kings of Aragon and the Borgia family in Rome as Popes. We can
see this in paintings and Gothic architecture. In the nineteenth century we can focus our attention on some
popular painters and writers, such as Pinazo, Sorolla or Blasco Ibañez.
In a contemporary analysis, Valencia highlights belong to the field of graphic and industrial design and
given the nonsensical recent cultural policies on cultural facilities, it currently has a large sample of contem-
porary architecture attached to “star architects”.
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VI CULTURE AND ECONOMY: A SUSTAINABLE BALANCE
Cultural organizations in the XXI century are facing new challenges and opportunities in a changing and
global world. Cultural planning and management are part of a new scenario today, defined by the emerging
relationships between culture and environmentally sustainable human development. The role of cultural
organizations as drivers of social and economic innovation for cities and territories is a must in this sense.
According to research conducted by Econcult in the Interreg MED Sostenuto project and its subsequent
MED capitalization projects (CreativeMED and 3C 4 Incubators), we can pose the following questions as
essential because of their impact on the contents of 3C 4 Incubators working groups (Business model,
Networking and Territorial links).
First of all, the new culture and development relationships can be shown through the philosophy of the
Agenda 21 for Culture and its proposal for innovative local cultural policies:
Figure 1. Local Cultural Planning according to the new relationships between culture and development:
Local Agenda for Culture
Source: Agenda 21 Culture
From this perspective, a transversal approach to cultural planning is necessary. To provide the activities of
cultural organizations with basic issues of the contemporary local agenda is an opportunity to get new
audiences and sources of funding, provide new services, etc... We can identify issues like urban planning
and public space, environmental education, education for creativity, research and experimentation, the
fight against social exclusion, multiculturalism, employment, youth, tourism… At the same time and in
conjunction with this, a multilevel approach that connects the local dimension with the dynamics of global-
ization and internalization also needs to be considered: participation in international networks, access to
European funds, international mobility…
In the Sostenuto project, we have pointed out the need to link territorial development models to the
Cultural and Creative Industries’ (CCIs) potential and contribution to social and economic innovation.
22
This scenario implies the need to rethink cultural planning in terms of the mission and vision of the
cultural organizations, opportunities identified through a territorial diagnosis, models of organization
and networking, evaluation of results and impact, indicators and evidence… If we consider the produc-
tion function of cultural and creative organizations, we can identify a large variety of impacts generated
by the goods and services they produce. Such impacts are not always noticeable in time and manner, so
their recognition, identification, and even their nature present serious assessment difficulties. Nonethe-
less, there is an increasing institutional recognition, visible in many documents like the “European Agen-
da for Culture in a Globalizing World” (COM/2007/0242 Final). A preliminary classification enables us
to distinguish two large areas - the impacts that affect CCI audiences and those that go beyond the direct
aims of the CCIs:
Impacts on audiences• Satisfactionofculturaldemands
• Entertainment,education
• Developmentofculturalcapital
• Cognitiveandaestheticvalues,developmentofmeanings,emotionalandspiritualimpact
• Socialcohesion(feelingofbelongingtoacommunity)
• Territorialidentity(historicalmemory)
• Promotionofvaluesandlifestyles
Impacts on non-audiences• Directeconomicimpactsandaddedvaluegeneratedbyculturalandcreativeactivities,
• Jobcreation,
• Promotionoftourismandvalorisationofculturalandnaturalheritage,whichisespeciallyimportantin
the context of rural development,
• Potentialforrenewingneglectedurbanareas,
• Recreationaluseofpublicspacesandpromotionofsocialcapital,
• PromotionofactivitieslinkedtotheKnowledgeEconomy,
• Territorialbrandingandprojection,enhancedcompetitiveness,
• Incentiveforattractingthecreativeclasses,
• Promotionofinnovationatthesocial,economicandpoliticallevels,
• Relationshipwithsocialpolicies:diversity,interculturaldialogue,thefightagainstexclusionandthepro-
motion of social capital,
According to these impacts, the symbolic structure of a community has always played a relevant role in
theconfigurationofasocio-economicspace.However,thisinfluencehasbecomestrongeroverthepast
two decades. As the EU indicated in its Green Paper, “Unlocking the potential of cultural and creative in-
dustries”(2010),factoryfloorsareprogressivelybeingreplacedbycreativecommunitieswhoserawma-
terial is their ability to imagine, create and innovate. All formulations of the Knowledge or Information
Society highlight the increasing importance and centrality of the symbolic dimension in social and eco-
nomic relationships.
In this sense, and complementary to the approach of the 3C 4 Incubators project, the MED capitalization
project CreativeMed assumes the role of culture in a smart specialization process (RIS 3 strategy). Due
to the depressive context that has been generated in the MED regions by the economic recession, it be-
comes increasingly urgent to try to take advantage of its territorial and cultural capital to co-design new
services and business models that can support the transformation of innovative and creative ideas
23
through entrepreneurship activities in welfare and economic prosperity. The previous projects that inte-
grate CreativeMed note the emergence of a new socio-economic model of smart specialization being
defined by the following elements:
1. Cultural anchoring, in some relationship between the value proposition and the specific cultural
heritage within the Mediterranean;
2. Open networked people, with a civic infrastructure that goes beyond the confines of a single orga-
nization to emphasize multi-disciplinary and informal collaboration;
3. Innovation mixes, blending and balancing the high-tech with traditional practice, or industry, with
social innovation;
4. New business models, where the value proposition includes an active role for the user/consumer
in knowledge exchange about the product or service, collective learning and dynamics, etc...;
5. Shared values, where the new product or service embodies and transmits a broader ethical prac-
tice, e.g. sustainable lifestyles, and contributes to shared value creation within the community.
A key hypothesis of the MED capitalization project CreativeMED is that the MED space has specific needs
and potential for innovation, as it emerges from the experiences of the background projects it builds on.
This is very important for the development of the 3C 4 Incubators project. This MED approach to innova-
tion builds strongly on place-based creativity and thus on cultural capital, more than on physical or financial
resources. The heritage of the MED regions in fact, from the Greeks and Romans through the Renaissance,
underpins Europe’s distinctive cultures, while traditions such as the Mediterranean diet and lifestyles are
also important for the MED space’s distinctive value proposition (CreativeMed, 2014).
Figure 2. The CreativeMED Vision for the MED space. (CreativeMed, 2014)
Source: CreativeMed (2014)
Specifically, the CreativeMed project has developed as a capitalization experience its own model of interpre-
tation, which is intended to summarize three common elements that can strengthen the implementation
of RIS3 strategies. This model defines an interesting framework for cultural organizations because it shows
the cultural connections of a smart development strategy in the Med area. The CreativeMed project presup-
poses a concept of collective creativity that is fed by the combination of three main elements: associations
and partnerships at the local level, trans-local ecosystems and socio-economic processes of territorial inno-
vation. The integration and interaction of these three dimensions is the key that determines the possibilities
and limits of a territory to exploit such differences under the Mediterranean innovation way. This way can
take a concept of innovation that goes beyond scientific and technical innovation. The main difference with
traditional innovation policies is thus not so much in the object of the policy but in the conception of the
innovation-related phenomena that the policy is acting on.
As was noted in the CreativeMed Green Paper (CreativeMed, 2014) integrating this creativity-based vision
with more traditional policies implies viewing different forms of innovation: scientific, technical, social, and
institutional – not as distinct approaches but as different dynamics that unfold in synergy. Through con-
24
stant interaction, they form an “innovation landscape” that progresses as an interacting system across the
maturity phases from first ideas to social uptake and penetration of daily life and work processes in a re-
gion. Promotion of such innovation dynamics will clearly require the integration of current policy approach-
es with new methods, new actors, and new initiatives, many of which have in fact already been successful-
ly experimented with in Territorial Cooperation projects such as Sostenuto.
VII CULTURAL POLICY: A MEANS TO AN END IN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
The generalized access to culture that came along with the democratization processes of the second half
of the twentieth century coincided with a general improvement of living standards (education, qualification,
health, spending power, etc...) and with an increased space for citizens to express criticism. It was also
since that period, however, that the concept of culture became associated with the recent - at the time –
concept of development, somewhat justifying the cultural predominance of so-called developed countries
over so-called underdeveloped ones. In a few decades, culture ceased to mean education and the possibil-
ity of criticism (including the criticism of the development model in place) and became an object of con-
sumption, marketing, propaganda and entertainment.
More recently, the rapid technological evolution and the use of communication and information tools,
namely the internet, have conveyed the illusion of an extended space of freedom and expression, but in-
stead end up standardising and neutralising attitudes, preferences and thinking. Simultaneously, the pres-
sure from the structures of power (political, financial) towards centralism and bureaucratic/administrative
control is huge.
Current cultural policies cannot ignore this context. And they must, without disregarding the potential of
universal languages, counter them with local languages and identities. This naturally implies an attitude
of resistance towards the development model in place, but this is an attitude that, by taking the cultural
dimension as a form of critical conscience towards development itself, allows us to (re)think alternatives
for the future. Cultural policies should therefore promote a small scale, participatory and critical cultural
democratization.
“Local” is the perfect territory for this proximity approach, and there have been several attempts at involving
citizens in the decision making process, through participatory budgeting, local action plans in the context of
the Agenda 21 programmes, or urban interventions designed to induce the creation of collaboration platforms
between political power and civil society, for example. The involvement of citizens in the decision making
processes and initiatives – that should be promoted by local government structures – largely ensures the
distribution of power by various local agents, the civic and cultural diversity of the solutions found, and pro-
motes inclusion, involvement, criticism and change. But this involvement should be matched by urban plan-
ning policies that ensure the existence of multifunctional spaces, spaces where human occupation is “prohib-
ited,” but also of spaces with no assigned function, that are open to creativity and to appropriation by citizens.
Fromthisconfluenceofparticipationandthepossibilityofusingatrulypublicspace,initiatives,projectsor
cultural programmes with a significant impact on people and communities are likely to appear.
It is also on this local plane of participation and appropriation of the public space that the intersections
between culture and other activities are created. The occupation of vacant spaces for cultural initiatives,
for example, even if it is occasional and informal, pushes the decision of rehabilitating the space and its
25
responsible management, apart from generating culture. The delimitation of cultural zones, districts or
boroughs, where platforms involving political power and civil society have designed and developed inte-
grated programs, has proven to be a very interesting process in the social, economic and urban growth
of these areas, by promoting movements or associations that are true examples of participatory and
critical democracy.
The creation of spaces for the incubation/experimentation of ideas, where different people meet and de-
velop projects that may complement each other, and establish connections with the surrounding environ-
ment, is likewise important for local development. It is therefore argued that cultural incubators or cre-
ative companies/industries clusters should not be isolated in the territory, optimizing the cluster logic, but
should rather establish links, suggest interventions and welcome proposals. The promotion of public co-
operation between politics, cultural, educational economic, scientific and technological agents, among
others, is therefore fundamental in local development. The current trend, mostly with local government
administrations, is the competitive “spectacularization” of territories, that only promotes entertainment;
this trend goes against the logic described above, and promotes apathy, individualism and the loss of lo-
cal cultural identities.
Culture therefore generates local development, when founded upon participatory processes, when it relates
with other areas and, in that relation, proposes uses and functions for a truly public space, and when it
takes on a humanizing role and promotes the constructive criticism of development itself.
VIII RECOMMENDATIONSDuring these years, the key determinants to positively support the CC sector have been tackled in several papers and policy recommendations targeting policy makers. Those determinants can be summarized as:
• Raiseawarenessinthesector;
• AdaptexistingbusinesssupporttoolstoCCcompaniesordevelopnewtools,especiallytargeting
this particular target group;
• Supportcollaborationwithothersectors;
• FacilitateaccesstofinanceforCCIcompanies;
• Reducemarketbarriers;
• Reinforcetheintellectualpropertyrightssector’sfeatures;
• Improveeducationandtraining;
• Facilitateaccesstoinnovation;
• Allowcollaborativeprocessesandnetworkingtoaccessknowledgeandmarketopportunities.
The project Creative Growth has allowed us to identify concrete recommendations9 in some of the
above-mentioned areas and the European Creative Industry Alliance, the main EU platform for policy mak-
ers supporting CCIs launched by DG Enterprise, has also enabled to identify key areas to improve:
9 Creative Growth (2010), Policy recommendations report, see: http://www.creative-growth.eu/
26
Theme Recommendations10 Source
Raise awareness in the sector and see the impact on the economy
“Make resources available to ensure that CCI Clusters become an active part of both the cultural ecosystems and the enterprise & innovation ecosystems in their region.”
“Mapping Studies should be commissioned to establish the on-going value of the creativesectorandthe influencethatcreativeswithinothersectorshaveontheoverall economy.
Member states and regions should review and test existing enterprise and innovation policies, to ensure they are sufficiently ‘Creative Industry Friendly’.”
European Creative Industries Alliance (ECIA)11
Support Tools Support tools should be mapped and analysed in terms of their appropriateness towards CCIs and integrated or adapted to CCI needs: intangible Intellectual Property, volatile turnover and weaker balance sheets.
Most business support and advisory schemes run by public bodies and intermediaries are intended for traditional businesses.
Next to initiating programmes exclusively dedicated to CCIs, the EU may put into place an innovation scheme aimed at reforming many general services. This may be done through training and advisory materials. The pilot contents and formats produced in EU cooperation projects (e.g. Interreg) could also be a good initial inspiration to do so.
Encouraging creative experimentation should be possible; for instance by dedicatingresourcestonew,flexiblesupportschemes.
ECIACreative Growth
Access to finance “Provide programmes that help businesses make the most of New Funding schemes, including equity, loan & project crowd-funding instruments alongside investment guarantee schemes. Consider setting up specific financial instruments that tackle areas of financial ‘blockage’, for example, where creative IP is under-valued and securing financial support is challenging.” (ECIA recommendation)
From Creative Growth:Facilitate dialogue between CCI companies and investors by supporting investment readiness schemes and networking occasions.
Favour investments in CCIs through the establishment of a dedicated investment fund at the EU level.
Diffuse guarantee funds and systems - similar to those developed for the Media sector within the MEDIA guarantee fund to all cultural and creative firms.
Work on framework conditions to make investments in CCI more appealing for investors (e.g. reforming the copyrighting enforcement directive)
Creative Growth
Incubation facilities Space for creative companies and workers are increasing (incubators, co-working spaces, fab-labs etc.), and there is a need to have transparent information on structures and services.
An exchange between incubation facilities should be encouraged at a pan-European level.
Regional projects that receive structural funding (ERDF/ESF) to establish incubators or co-working spaces should be mandated to develop a plan of services to provide to clients and tenants. An interregional cooperation project may be launched and detailed guidelines may be made available by policy makers.
An international network of incubators may be promoted at the EU level.
Creative Growth
Education, Research and Industry Relations
Promote innovation in creative industries by encouraging collaboration between creative sector companies, education, and the research community.
Students and professionals should be supported in further developing their business skills and higher education programmes in the CC sector should be more market oriented.
Promote a general knowledge exchange between the research base and the creative and cultural community through awareness campaigns and networking events.
Creative Growth
27
Networks and mobility schemes
Support the networking capacities of creative companies and professionals.
Research should be carried out on specific networking requirements compared to other sectors.
Invest in networking infrastructures as well as in the soft factors required to link the CC community. This means quality digital tools as well as appropriate infrastructures.
Interregional cooperation should be further encouraged as only few EU regions have taken part in cooperation opportunities.
Mobility schemes for artists and professionals may be further diffused to provide networking occasions for foreign partners.
Creative Growth
1010, 1111
These recommendations, especially those from ECIA works, are very “industry” oriented whereas the CC
sector also includes other types of organizations and a wide community of independent professionals that
need to be considered in EU policies to support the sector in an effective way. These recommendations
have also been primarily developed by organizations from non-Mediterranean areas, so there is room for
3C4Incubators to make a contribution to the EU debate on how to better support the CC sector.
3C 4 Incubators contribution to the dialogue1) There is a need to improve the knowledge of the CC sector dimension: official data available at EU lev-
els (see section IV) only include statistics related to companies. Freelancers, sole traders and associa-
tions are therefore left out of official statistics, even though they represent a significant proportion of the
sector. There is, thus, a need to integrate data from several sources. For instance, an observatory for the
CC sector may be promoted.
Case studyOsservatorio dello Spettacolo (Emilia-Romagna)
The Emilia-Romagna Observatory for Live Show and Cinema is a key organization promoted by the Region
Emilia-Romagna (Department for Culture) to understand and plan development for a specific sector. The
Observatory maps and monitors activity at a regional level, conducts research on specific topics (market
perspectives, training needs, etc...), and collaborates with similar organizations on national and EU levels.
2) A list of topics to discuss must be made by creative incubators in order to address and convince local authorities about the necessity of investing in such tools, such as:
• Thenecessitytotakemeasuresinordertostopbraindraineffects,whilelocalcreativedesertifica-
tion must be noted and argued against;
• Thenecessityofinvestinginspecificlocalcreativeproductionjobprofilesmustprevailforthead-
aptation to global cultural distribution job profiles. Both are necessary, but the first are more prof-
itable on a long term basis;
• Theneedfortransversalapproachesandallianceswithnon-culturaloperatorsmustbestressed.
The network effect is not only relevant for entrepreneurs but also for public administrations;
Experiences from Regions with clear policies for the CC sector as a whole or specific sub-sectors should be
10 A selection has been made.
11 ECIA (2014), Creative Industries Cluster excellence, see: http://www.eciaplatform.eu/
28
expanded into other EU areas. For instance, an example of a programme for the CC sector as a whole and
a policy for a sub-sector can be found in the Lazio region.
Case studyIn the Lazio Region, a regional law is available to support the audio-visual sector and one integrated initia-
tive is available for CC companies.
The Lazio Region regional law for cinema and audio-visual development12 was established in 2011 as an
important instrument to support one of the most strategic sectors of the economy and competitiveness of
the Region, giving an opportunity to promote the image and identity of Rome and Lazio in the world.
The audio-visual sector is the second industry in the Lazio region (69% of audio-visual Italian enterprises
are located in this territory) meaning 1,300 enterprises and 36,000 employees.
The regional law provides support tools for cinematographic and audio-visual activities like production,
distribution, promotion and all the innovation activities linked to this sector and aims at attracting and
promoting national and foreign audio-visual productions in the regional territory.
This law aims to promote the territory through direct initiatives to attract national and foreign cine-
matographic and audio-visual productions in the region.
In order to finance initiatives promoted by the law, the regional government has created a specific funding
instrument: the regional fund for cinema and audio-visual media, the first European film fund with an
overall allocation of 45 million euros for the period 2011–2013 (15 million a year). It also aims to be the most
important and significant Italian regional fund as far as economic endowment is concerned. It finances
interventions defined under the program’s annual operations.
This initiative has had significant success in terms of (1) applications - 156 projects presented in 2011, 170
in 2012, 350 in 2013 - (2) returns – in 2012, for an expenditure of 15 million euros, 200 Million euros were
generated in terms of economic impact and (3) feedback: the fund has co-financed some important and
successful movies, such as “La Grande Bellezza” (winner of the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th
Academy Awards in 2014) and “To Rome with Love” directed by Woody Allen (winner of the Golden Lion at
the 70th Venice International Film Festival).
Lazio Creativo and the digital creative programme13 follow successful past experiences developed by the
Province of Rome. It is financed through the Regional Creativity Fund14 with the aim of supporting new
enterprises or initiatives for the dissemination of creativity values.
The Region allocates through public notices 4.5 million euros for the period 2014-2016.
In the framework of Lazio Creativo many initiatives are developed to provide funding for new companies, for
instance: (1) Creative Start Up - a call for start-ups in the sector (art and cultural heritage, architecture and de-
sign, performing arts and music, audio-visual and publishing), (2) Zero Project - a call to promote the start-up
of audio-visual projects, (3) App On - a call to promote the design and the development of platforms and appli-
cations for smartphones and tablets, (4) Future Culture, supporting cross media projects and (5) New Book -
financing the development of project ideas dedicated to books and reading in the digital innovation area.
Lazio Creativo and the digital creative programme aim at creating a unique framework to support the CC
sector in the region by gathering in one programme several types of funds coming from different regional
directorates in order to avoid fragmentation and to coordinate support initiatives for the CC sector’s sake.
12 http://www.regione.lazio.it/rl_cultura/?vw=contenutiDettaglio&cat=1&id=108
13 http://www.regione.lazio.it/rl_giovani/?vw=newsDettaglio&id=159
14 L.R. 13/2013 – art. 7 “Fondo della creatività per il sostegno e lo sviluppo di imprese nel settore delle attività culturali e creative”
29
3) New forms of support may be diffused in the EU for entrepreneurs-to-be. Feedback from the market is
a key element to assess when starting a new company. Instruments to test the market in a “protected” way
would represent a key aspect to explore for artists and cultural associations. A successful tool to experiment
in other countries or Mediterranean regions is the Contrat d’Appui au Projet d’Entreprise (CAPE – Support
contract for business setting up or takeover projects).
Case studyContrat d’Appui au Projet d’Entreprise15 (CAPE – Support contract for business setting up or takeover proj-
ects) is a type of contract regulated by the French Law on Economic initiatives. CAPE is a written contract in
which a legal entity (company or ‘association’) commits to providing support and assistance during the pre-
paratory phase and possibly the beginning of an activity, to a project initiator, a natural person who is not a
full-time employee and willing to start or takeover a business. The duration of the CAPE cannot exceed 12
months, renewable twice. CAPE is, in particular, used within the framework of a business incubator. It offers
project initiators the possibility of starting in a protected way. It allows them to test their business activity
without being registered by the relevant Chamber or Register (like the Trade and Companies Register). This
way they can proceed to billings through a legal entity, as well as have administrative and accounting support.
4) Support should be available for the whole start-up process contributing to the financial and strategic autonomy of local creative industries: All possible support should be covered by the same structure or a
collaboration process should be developed by several organizations covering different needs (from idea
proposal definition to distribution). Two examples to consider are Platform DYNAMO developed by A.M.I.
and EmiliaRomagnaStartUp and Incredibol in Emilia-Romagna.
Case studyPlatform DYNAMO16 has been developed by A.M.I. – Aide aux Musiques Innovatrices, a non-profit orga-
nization, as a comprehensive Support for cultural and creative initiatives and companies / artist collec-
tives, including an incubator, artist companies hosting, collective business travels abroad, etc... The DY-
NAMO platform comprises 4 elements : CADO, an incubator specialized in cultural and creative initiatives,
FUNDUK - housing facilities for companies and artists collectives, KOUROU, international activities and
les GRANDES CHAISES - hosting support organizations involved in the culture economy. The Dynamo
Platform strengthens cultural and creative entrepreneurs at the early stages of their creation. It helps them
to create synergies and networks between project carriers and to internationalize their business thanks to
business trips, professional meetings etc...
Case studyIn Emilia-Romagna, a wide effort has been made to favour support programmes for CCI companies based
on exploiting already existing services in place. EmiliaRomagnaStartUp17 was launched by the Emilia-Ro-
magna region and ASTER with the objective of having a single platform for the start-up community. A spe-
cific section for the creative sector is available to give visibility to new companies in this sector, provide infor-
mation about support organizations for them and all opportunities for the sector. This specific section is
developed in collaboration with the support programme Incredibol18, an initiative promoted by the Munici-
pality of Bologna and co-funded by the Region Emilia-Romagna. Incredibol publishes a yearly call for propos-
15 http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F11299.xhtml
16 http://www.amicentre.biz/-DYNAMO-59-.html
17 http://www.emiliaromagnastartup.it/creative
18 http://www.incredibol.net/
30
als for creative professionals and new companies to access funding, space (belonging to the Municipality of
Bologna) and support services. Services are provided by a network of public and private local partners that
contribute to the programme, primarily with their time and already-existing resources. This programme is
especially interesting as a collaboration platform between different types of local stakeholders.
5) A public position paper in the form of a declaration should be made by local authorities(s) about their
wish and their motivations to be a creative area, including in terms of employment, development strategy,
international outputs, and in terms of a pluri-annual work plan and relevant investments.
An example for Mediterranean regions to be inspired by may be found outside the 3C4Incubators partner-
ship. The most successful experience in Europe was implemented in the UK.
Case studyCreative Britain strategy19 is an ambitious and complete example of a strategy to support the CC sector. The
Creative Britain Strategy was published in February 2008 by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in
partnership with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Depart-
ment for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). “Creative Britain: new talents for the new economy” was
based on the UK Government’s strategy for the creative industries through 26 different commitments with
the objective of moving the creative industries from the margins to the mainstream of the UK economy.
Talent, innovation, business growth and intellectual property – key drivers of success in the creative indus-
tries, are all supported by the strategy.
The strategy also focuses on local, regional and international elements to ensure that Creative Britain will
help the UK’s creative industries grow domestically and globally.
With an initial envelope of £70 Million, Creative Britain’s strategy is periodically reviewed and updated to en-
sure that it continues to deliver the right support to encourage sustained economic growth in a rapidly chang-
ing sector.
7) Cultural incubators need to form links with the territories and communities; not be isolated struc-tures: this creates dynamics and pushes other activities. The constitution of local platforms grouping all
stakeholders is a key element to ensure cohesion in a specific sector. Companies that are part of the incu-
bator community should be encouraged to be part of those platforms in order to facilitate collaboration between tenants and the rest of the local community. National and international collaboration should also
be promoted for local companies to access knowledge and opportunities from other areas.
An example may be found in Basilicata with “Artepollino un altro sud,” an initiative promoted by the Region
Basilicata and “Valencia Vibrant,” a private initiative developed with a bottom-up approach.
Case study“Artepollino un altro sud”20 is an initiative of ‘Sensi Contemporanei,’ a programme promoted by Basilicata
Region, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the Biennale Foun-
dation of Venice, enhancing environmental and cultural heritages of the Pollino National Park. In order to
develop this project further, Basilicata Region has promoted the creation of the ARTEPOLLINO Association
– including young, small tourism entrepreneurs, art passionate people – with the objective of supporting a
19 Department for Culture Media and Sport (2008), Creative Britain New Talents for the New Economy
20 www.artepollinobasilicata.it
31
series of initiatives with a positive impact on the area: training programmes in schools, public seminars
and workshops, creation of new tourist routes encouraging the territory in an innovative way.
Case studyVibrant Valencia21 is a project driven by an open lobby group of professionals, most of them linked with the
Cultural and Creative sectors. Valencia Vibrant is an open group of professionals who have in common the
fact that they have chosen the same city. The project was born because too many untapped possibilities
were detected in the city. It promotes loyalty between economic activity and the territory through the ideas,
debate and actions.
8) Territorial planning and urban policies are very important in the sense that they guarantee the exis-tence of spaces that can have a double component of private use and profit activity as well as public use
and public function. An example of a territorial plan based on culture can be found in Malaga with MAUS
(Soho Malaga).
Case studyMAUS is a urban development project developed by the city of Malaga and its development agency and
supported by several local organizations and institutions. It was launched in the forecourt of the Contem-
porary Art Centre (CAC). A city square in front of the Arte Centre reinforced the idea of a project open to all
citizens. In the same location, several types of infrastructure are available: The Centre for Contemporary Art, Market ArteNativo was installed in collaboration with local artists and artisans and the exhibition
space Dexter Dalwood.
From performing arts and theatre, photography, music (Soho Malaga Sound Festival), markets, shows and
workshops, MAUS is one of the most important cultural interventions and has left a permanent impact not
only on people but also on the appearance of the buildings of this neighbourhood.
MAUS has allowed the birth of urban art in some of the most visible and dilapidated buildings. It has al-
lowed artists of great national and international recognition as Faith 47, ROA, East Sal D’or Face Obey,
among others, to illustrate their works and façade walls creating a real art gallery outdoors.
9) Incubating structures may be sector focused and may offer different types of facilities. For instance,
experimentation and exhibition spaces may be included in infrastructure as those may drive creativity, en-
able the CC community to gather and help the creative incubator differentiate itself from cross sectors’ in-
frastructure. An example of a cultural incubator is ICult in the Lazio region.
Case studyOpened in July 2013, ICult22 is a business incubator specialized in supporting the start-up and development
of cultural and creative SMEs based in the Lazio Region. The incubator can host up to 14 SMEs and offers
space and support services with the objective of converting a business idea into a successful new business.
ICult was established by BIC Lazio in the framework of a broader regional strategy aimed at expanding the
network of incubators available in the Lazio Region. ICult was established in Viterbo (North of Rome). Local
promoters of ICult are a bank foundation and the Municipality of Viterbo. The Carivit Foundation had the plan
to transform a former slaughterhouse into a ceramics museum and the Municipality of Viterbo wanted to
regenerate the area of Faul Valley in Viterbo. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2005: BIC Lazio
21 http://valenciavibrant.es/
22 http://www.biclazio.it/it/i-nostri-servizi/incubazione/viterbo-2.bic
32
committed itself to transform part of the former slaughterhouse into an incubator specializing in supporting
cultural, tourist and handicraft start-ups.
All activities were financed by the Lazio Region funds and Carivit Foundation’s private funds.
ICult has been active since 2013 and since then it has had a very positive impact on both start-ups and the
local community. Several future developments are also already planned to further integrate the ICult service
offer: a FabLab will for instance be developed in ICult in 2015.
10) It is important to develop dedicated infrastructures to enable the community to gather and exchange and gain visibility for the region.
An example may be found in Ljubljana with the Public Institute Center urbane kulture Kino Šiška as a centre for
the local community to explore culture in all forms, both from the country or abroad. Other types of infrastruc-
ture are linked to conduct research for example on local cultural resources. An example may be found in Évora.
Case studyThe Public Institute Center urbane kulture Kino Šiška23 is a centre established by the Municipality of Ljublja-
na in 2008 with the purpose of creating a centre of modern and urban creativity in Ljubljana, with national
and also international relevance. Its objective is not only to organise and host a variety of concerts, theatre,
dance and experimental events, but also to offer production space and equipment and to educate. Import-
ant objectives also include the stimulation of participation, democracy, plurality, international cooperation
and quality of production, presentation and reproduction. With a very open programme concept, Kino
Šiška has managed to organise events across very different genres – from underground to high fashion,
from mainstream pop to experimental activities.
The place is open and integrated in the spatial context (Kiosk, café, wi-fi, jam sessions, discussions, work-
shops, etc…) as well as in the programme and business context (more than 60% of the programme is a
product of different collaborations). Not focusing only on local, but also on the international context from
the very beginning, most of the productions (above all, concerts) are foreign. By implementing visual (ur-
ban) interventions in the public space, Kino Šiška is changing the wider surroundings and it has become a
place, where people and creatives would like to live.
Case studyThe Laboratory HERCULES24 is an excellence scientific structure, created by the University of Évora, with the
sponsorship of the European funding mechanism EEA Grants. It is dedicated to the study and safeguarding
of cultural heritage.
This regional infrastructure is composed of a multidisciplinary team involving experts and specialists in
conservation and heritage comprising different areas of knowledge such as history, art history, conserva-
tion-restoration, chemistry, geology and biochemistry. Its high quality equipment, and its philosophy of
proximity towards the institutions with which it works, make Hercules a good example of dialogue between
science and culture, with an activity that has been expanding outside the region and the country.
This structure has been highly successful mainly because of the strong interaction promoted between the
laboratorial structure and the cultural and heritage institutions who seek the laboratory’s support. This in-
teraction allows Hercules to provide specific solutions to specific questions and to closely interact with
cultural heritage specificities. As can be found in Hercules’ mission “the rehabilitation and enhancement
23 http://www.kinosiska.si/
24 Website: http://www.hercules.uevora.pt/
33
of heritage and reviving traditional techniques and knowledge can have a direct impact on populations,
contributing to the areas of regional and urban planning and the creation of jobs in services, tourism and
small businesses, providing cultural identity and memory to the community.” This recognition, along with
a high investment in promoting the Laboratory mission and activities among younger generations, have
brought positive results in linking culture and science.
11) Although paying much attention to the economic exploitation of Culture - including heritage sites ex-
ploitation and festivals - it is also important to pay attention to each citizen’s and inhabitant’s cultural development, which seems to us a key issue when considering inter-cultural misunderstandings, discrim-
ination, immigration, and disrespecting cultural rights. Regions should invest in democratically-shared
creativity development, not only for the sake of jobs’ creation, but also to guarantee, in the future, a good
level of stability, social cohesion, a positive international image, resistance to brain-drain/intellectual de-
sertification aspects, public and private investments attraction, an active presence in international/Mediter-
ranean networks, etc..., all of these elements, which in fact, on a long term basis, will be key-elements for
positive economic development.
On this matter, it seems that political decisions are still to be formulated, and dialogue with institutions has
not yet proven enough.
EU projects such as 3C 4 Incubators will be determining examples to foster the institutional reflection on this subject.
BIBLIOGRAPHYAgenda 21 Culture (2009). Report 4. Culture and sustainable development: examples of institutional inno-
vation and proposal of a new cultural policy profile, see: http://www.agenda21culture.net/index.php/46-of-
ficial-documentation-all/reports-all/366-report-4-culture-and-sustainable-development-examples-of-insti-
tutional-innovation-and-proposal-of-a-new-cultural-policy-profile
Creative Growth (2010), Policy recommendations report, see: http://www.creative-growth.eu/
Creative Med (2014). CreativeMed Model. Work on progress.
Department for Culture Media and Sport (2008), Creative Britain New Talents for the New Economy
ECIA (2014), Creative Industries Cluster excellence, see: http://www.eciaplatform.eu/
D.Power, T. Nielsen (2010), Priority Sector Report: Creative and Cultural Industries, European Cluster
Series of Conferences “Culture, Public Space and Development – Which options for a transformative cul-
tural policy” – publication of the conferences, CIMAC & Colectivo Campo Aberto, Évora, 2014
www.3c4incubators.eu