18 May 2020
As part of the Connect for Creativity project, a study visit took place between March 10-13 in London and Cardiff, the United Kingdom.
Policymakers, academics and culture professionals from Serbia, Turkey, and Greece had the chance to meet and further collaboration with many institutions and managers from the public sector, local government, civil society and private sectors in the UK.
On the last day of the visit, the participants attended the exhibition titled TransLocal Cooperation held in Furtherfield Gallery London as part of the Connect for Creativity project.
Follow this link to watch the video about the study visit.
About the Study Visit
The study visit invited policy and decision makers from Greece, Serbia, Turkey and the UK to participate in meetings, site visits and openings in Cardiff and London between 10 and 13 March 2020. These activities included presentations by a variety of public and private organisations, site visits to creative hubs as well as Connect for Creativity’s exhibition opening at Furtherfield.
The study visit aimed to build new connections and share the best of the UK’s creative industries. This shared first-hand experience will increase knowledge and understanding and create opportunities to connect with and explore potential partnerships between Greece, Serbia, Turkey and the UK.
Over the last ten years the creative industries have become a global phenomenon. Creative hubs are increasing in number and rapidly becoming an important player in supporting creative communities globally. However, their potential is still not fully acknowledged or valued. Their forward-looking, open and creative core are their strength, but can also be a weakness, as many people find them hard to define and grasp.
Forming a creative network of open, forward-looking and versatile international professionals, who are driven by social impact and the value they create for their communities, creative hubs and their communities are key to improving intercultural dialogue and developing long-term multilateral cultural initiatives.
Therefore, creative hub actors and political stakeholders need to be made aware of the opportunities and benefits that come from building and supporting a successful creative economy.
About the Project
Connect for Creativity is an 18-month project led by the British Council, in collaboration with ATÖLYE and Abdullah Gül University in Turkey, BIOS in Greece and Nova Iskra in Serbia.
The Project is part of the Intercultural Dialogue Programme led by Yunus Emre Institute and co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey.
Based on the concepts of empathy, engagement and empowerment, Connect for Creativity aims to strengthen intercultural dialogue through supporting creative hubs and their communities to come together, exchange ideas and experience, and encourage new creative collaborations.