HackCreative: An Industry Transformed – Creative and Cultural Industries hackathon
Project Duration
1-3 May, 2020
Building solutions for a sector in transformation.
Keywords
Hackathon, creative industries, COVID-19, online collaboration, digital transformation
Summary
At the peak of COVID-19 disruptions, HackCreative: An Industry Transformed invited creative professionals, artists, event organisers, and culture workers to come together online for 48 hours of learning, building, and sharing, reimagining how the sector could adapt and thrive during and beyond the pandemic.
What made this hackathon unique was its fully online, cross-border, and inclusive format, empowering participants to collaborate regardless of location, using creativity to address the real and urgent challenges the pandemic posed to the cultural and creative industries across Europe.
Participants joined workshops led by industry experts, received guidance from mentors, and worked intensively in teams to develop practical solutions that could support sustainable and inclusive growth in the sector. From digital event concepts to tools for supporting freelance creatives, the hackathon showcased the power of creativity to drive transformation in times of uncertainty.
Objectives
- Support creative and cultural industries in adapting to the challenges of COVID-19
- Foster collaboration and digital skills among creatives and cultural workers
- Develop innovative, practical solutions to sustain the sector during crises
- Build bridges across industries to create collaborative platforms for the future
Key Activities
- 48-hour fully online hackathon, open to creatives, event organisers, and professionals from other sectors
- Participants formed teams to develop new projects or join others, working intensively over the weekend
- Six online workshops led by industry professionals, covering topics from UX design to event management
- Mentorship throughout the hackathon, with guidance on business models, branding, creative coding, and more
- Collaborative creation of prototypes and solutions aimed at transforming the sector
Results
- Developed innovative concepts to support the cultural and creative industries in a time of crisis
- Built cross-border networks of creative professionals and industry experts
- Strengthened digital collaboration skills among participants
- Fostered practical tools and ideas to help the sector navigate COVID-19 disruptions
Read about the winners here and watch the workshop videos of HackCreative hackathon