Second Experts’ Focus Group within “Cultural and Creative Industries Cooperation and Innovation in the ND Countries” project

On-line Experts' Focus Group “Hearing and dancing? How can the Cultural and Creative Industries engage with ‘Traditional Industries’ to mutual benefit?”

Date and time: 10 September, 2020 from 11.00 to 13.00 (Riga time, GMT +3)

In the context of developing a new 2021-2024 Strategy, the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (NDPC) is implementing a study project, the core of which includes mapping, to identify the degree of cross-sectoral cooperation currently taking place between the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) and other social and economic sectors.

The focus is on ’cross-innovation’ which in the context of this project refers to a process by which CCIs share information, collaborate and work with other growth sectors to promote new thinking as well as innovative products, services and activities. ‘Cross innovation’ manifested in the digital, economic, environmental, social and educational dimensions is the priority.

The on-line Experts Focus Group is being convened to support this study project. It is one of the events bringing together CCI professionals and other relevant people from the eleven Northern Dimension countries to focus in particular on the ways in which CCIs can contribute to the transformation of ‘traditional Industries’ and to identify the support measures needed to facilitate greater CCI connectivity with them.

During the Expert Focus Group event participants will share their views on the following issues:

‘Traditional industries’ can be interpreted in many different ways and so for this event we will focus on arts and cultural areas such as crafts, fashion and traditional architecture and also on the separate area of education. To what extent are such areas in practice ‘traditional’ in an era of emerging green, knowledge, circular, and innovation economies?

During the first on-line experts group, when discussing the barriers to cross-sectoral cooperation, participants referred to CCIs and other sectors’ ‘Low awareness of each other and the needs’ stating that ‘Although some progress may be being made, an obvious example is the awareness gulf between ‘creatives’ and ‘traditional industries’. If correct, is this a CCI communication and advocacy weakness? How serious is this ‘gulf’ for CCIs and the ‘traditional industries’? What does developing awareness mean in practical and policy terms? How to encourage ‘hearing’ and ‘dancing’ in the new ‘mad’ Covid-19 world?

Specifically what is different and what has changed in the new post-Corvid-19 world in terms of a CCI-‘traditional industries’ cross-sectoral relationship? Will any drivers of new or increased cross-sectoral activity be related to a) threats or b) opportunities or c) both or d) to other factors?

How does one a) recognise and b) evaluate or measure the benefits of cross-sectoral cooperation and innovation between CCIs and ‘traditional industries’? If one can recognise success, how can such relationships be rewarded and incentivised to encourage future growth in this area?

Based on the discussions and ideas that emerge from the Expert Focus Group Event a briefing paper will be developed to contribute to the shaping of the NDPC’s new Strategy 2021-2024 and its future actions and activities.

Participants: Up to 20 CCI and traditional industries stakeholders and other relevant specialists from the Northern Dimension countries

Contact for the event: Yulia Bardun (ybardoun@yahoo.com)