15.01.2010
European Project “Creative Cities”
Press release: Approval of the project

“Creative Cities”, European project within the Central Europe Programme has been approved for funding. “Creative Cities”stands for Development and Promotion of Creative Industry Potentials in Central European Cities. This long-awaited project aims at establishing a transnational network of creative industry clusters of major Central European cities. This cooperation is foreseen between five Central European cities: Leipzig (DE), Genoa (IT), Gdansk (PL), Ljubljana (SI) and Pecs (HU). The project specifically addresses creative industries that are defined as “those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.” (UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport 2001).

More specifically, Creative Cities aims to:

• improve framework conditions and to initialize creative industry clusters
• promote entrepreneurial skills and competitiveness of creative industries, creating positive climate attracting different investments and exchanging know how
• improve their external visibility through transnational marketing and networking
• exploit potentials in the development of decayed urban areas through the allocation of creative industries in those city districts.

“Creative Cities” has its starting point in the need of promoting creativity and innovation as driving forces for local economic and urban development.

Furthermore, the project idea directly relates to the debate about creative industries in Europe which has gained more attention through the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009. It will also provide a significant contribution to the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 2010 which coincides with the conclusion of the EU's ten year strategy for growth and jobs by making available unexploited job opportunities in creative industries and improving local living conditions through the settlement of creative industries in decayed urban areas.

The result of the project will be a set of guidelines and recommendations for other cities interested in replicating the approaches taken by the project and promoting their creative industry potentials. The project will make aware especially local administration of the importance and benefits creative industries do offer and will give possibility to inaugurate the Creative Industry Cluster Contact Points which will provide the services based on the Joint Action Plan.

“Creative Cities” Project is programmed for three years and its lifetime has officially started at the beginning of January 2010.

The project is led by City of Leipzig (DE). Further project partners are: Aufbauwerk Region Leipzig GmbH (DE), Gdansk Entrepreneurship Foundation (PL), Institute for Economic Research (SI), Municipality of Genoa – Culture Department (IT), Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region (SI), City Hall of Gdansk (PL), Job Center Scrl (IT), City of Pecs (HU), Cultural Innovation Competency Centre Association (HU) and German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development (DE).

The first meeting of consortium will be held in Gdansk on February 22 and 23, 2010.

For more information contact:
Communication Manager
Emilia Marieta Niewiarowska
Email: [email protected]