03.05.2011

Since the beginning of the “Creative Cities” project Genoa has chosen to promote all the creative industry sectors. In order to facilitate the aggregation of the local creative industry actors a massive participation program was planned.

Objectives of this process were the raising of awareness and the construction of shared visions.

The cluster was divided into 3 Working Groups that has been working on the following themes:

- WG 1 “Contact Point”
- WG 2 “Instruments for administrative and normative regulation”
- WG 3 “Enterprise Support and professionalization”

The meetings on specific issues of all 3 WGs were organized periodically. In the meantime they have met spontaneously discussing other different issues. The WGs had an open participation (each participant could join or leave the group at each meeting – and “new entries” were always allowed and welcome). As the groups were sovereign, each set its own working agenda and dates of the next meeting. There was a presence not only of the individuals working the creative industry field but also institutions. Moreover, each group had an own budget for acquiring expertise.

Until now the different outputs have been obtained in the different groups.
In the first group there was a massive brainstorming and idea generation activities and co-planning of the virtual contact point for the creative industry.
The second group identified three main topics on which is necessary to focus on. They are following: urban transformations; fund raising evolution in the culture sector and  innovation and industrial districts.
Whereas the last group identified two other main areas on which is necessary to focus on. First - marketing of cultural service and/or of cultural goods and second - protection of intellectual property rights and the free circulation of ideas and information.

The lifetime of the first group is finished. It was foreseen that the Contact Point would be organized online and the following hypothesis was the output given by the stakeholders of the WG1. They contributed with their ideas to the Contact Point planning. In connection with this research work and in the synergy, it was possible to revise other parts of the bigger online portal on creativity that was foreseen by the Municipality of Genoa. Other parts of the portal are: GAI (Young Italian Artists Circuit) and in particular Cultural Observatory. Therefore the hypothesis was to give life to the portal that would include both above mentioned parts and also a section addressed to the creative industry. The online portal is now in the executive phase of the planning. It will be implemented further on by those who are interested in all three sections of the portal and will have the Redaction Committee including the Municipality employee.

With regards to the WG 2 and WG3, these two WGs of Genoese cluster is now finishing and the evaluation is going to be presented. 

All process ends with the identification of some proposals to be presented to local authorities.

Once these three first groups expire, the new ones on new topics will start. It is foreseen that one of the new groups shall discuss the urban rehabilitation of the already chosen decayed area in the center of Genoa.

More information on the Genoese cluster:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Genoa/136863473002518