Europe is the second largest Cultural and Creative industries (CCIs or Cultural and Creative sector, CCS) market in the world after Asia. A study by ‘Cultural Times’ estimates that European Union creates 32% of global CCI revenues and 26% of world-wide CCI ; Numerous surveys have proven that this field is one of the most sustainable in times of crises and can more easily adapt to the changing conditions. According to Eurostat, in 2015 the cultural sector constituted of the total European workforce. The whole CCIs sector represents around 4% of European GDP and provides jobs to 8 million people (European Commission, 2017). The CCI sector is an important player in the economic and political context, and its strength lays on its ability to encourage both competitiveness and inclusiveness in different fields of business, although its further development still encounters certain obstacles.

This timely symposium, organised in the European year of cultural heritage, will evaluate recent initiatives and policy developments in the field of Cultural and Creative Industries, and present good practice and emerging challenges to the sector. Participants will exchange views and perspectives on the possible strategies to tackle these challenges, and will debate the role of CCIs in national politics, education, international communication and social inclusion.

Overview:

• Session 1 - Analysing the European Legislative Framework: Facilitating CCIs Development and Available European Funds
• Session 2 - Linking Digitalisation and CCIs: New Opportunities and Upcoming Challenges 
• Session 3 - Facilitating the Integration of CCIs in Education
• Session 4 - Bolstering the Soft Power of CCIs as a Tool for Public Diplomacy  

Delegates will:

• Find out about the different CCIs funding opportunities and cooperation networks
• Look into the European initiatives to boost the CCIs sector, such as Creative Europe Programme, Support to literary translation projects, Cultural and Creative Sector Guarantee Facility, European Creative Hubs
• Address ways to overcome the lack of data and the need to systemise information
• Enhance the knowledge of the digital capacity-building methods in the field of CCI
• Identify ways to get access to the European market for companies operating in the cultural and creative sector, according to their size
• Analyse the methods to eliminate the fragmentation of different educational domains using innovations from the CCIs
• Learn from success stories on international communication based on cultural exchanges