Creative Synergy notes: it is not self-evident to find partners!

The warming welcome word was delivered by Walter Zampieri, Head of the Culture Unite (EACEA), who made a bridge between the old and new Creative Europe programme and highlighted the most important priorities for the next generation of Creative Europe programme. As he said, the Work Programme of the “new” programme is about to be adopted and new calls will be launched at the beginning of June. The “old” programme supported over 1000 projects, which means over 4000 cultural organizations from all the Europe, and managed to create a huge super network that engaged hundreds of artists and citizens.
The new programme will have the same core, as the calls remain the same, but it will be better and stronger thanks to the bigger budget and a clear focus on co-creation and innovation. It will also aimed at developing new audiences, circulation of works and arts, and supporting culture and creative sectors in the digital and ecological transition. The new programme is meant to support the transformative power of Europe and culture that will bring us to a better Europe.

In the first part the CED representatives Elisabeth Pacher (AT), Anera Stopfer (HR), Gábor Mondik (HU) and Mateja Lazar (SI) presented the results and benefits that each country had from the Creative Europe 2014-2020 programme.

The second part was dedicated to the topic of sharing experiences and good practices in the neighbourhood including Creative Europe successful beneficiaries invited by the national Desks, who talk about their practises and experiences in organizing cultural events and activities in the time of COVID and lockdown, especially how COVID challenged their work and international cultural cooperation (namely, Andreja Hribernik – director of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Koroška (SI); Liz King – choreographer, dance teacher and artistic director of the Dance Identity (AT); Edvin Liverić – actor, director and director of Croatian Cultural Center – HKD (HR) and Barna Petrányi – cultural manager and managing director of Pro Progressione (HU)). The guest speakers also talked about various aspects of international cooperation within Creative Europe, focusing on building sustainable partnerships, developing relationships with audiences, and their use of the benefits of the digital shift.

Some of the highlights from the presentations by guest speakers: it is important to bring international dimensions to small places and include local audiences; it is not self-evident to find partners and it takes a lot of effort to build a sustainable partnership, as it is very important for the project consortium to have a clear idea, same interests, trust in partners and project idea and above all to have dialogue and time to prepare a project proposal. Additionally, the guest speakers agreed that nevertheless – the show must go on!

The last part of the event was a virtual networking with the Desks and their guests, attended by several participants who were more interested in the projects supported by the Creative Europe programme.

Creative Synergy was organized by Motovila Institute (CED SI) in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture (CED AT), the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia (CED HR), and Kreatív Európa Nonprofit Kft (CED HU). The organizers reserve the right to change the program.
Creative Synergy was a follow-up on the European Education and Culture Executive Agency’s event “Sharing Practices in COVID times” (6 May 2021).