Creative Communities Igniting Change

Project summary

The creative sector has a major role to play in creating entrepreneurial opportunities which tackle discrimination and inequality in the field of entrepreneurship and employment. A leading driver of dynamic and innovative economies and an area of focus for EU development, it represents 6.8 % of European GDP (approximately €860 billion) and 6.5% of European employment (approximately 14 million). Yet for all this potential, there is little opportunity for disadvantage groups to connect with VET in the creative economy as a stepping stone to entrepreneurship. Youth unemployment is a challenge across our partnership - in November 2014 it was 23.2% in Poland, 23% in Sweden, 21.8% in Ireland and a lower 16% in the UK. It is clear that early school leavers and those of low educational attainment do not have the qualifications or resources to access universities and HEls in this field. Karen Price OBE explains it clearly- ‘There is enormous raw capability in young people … if we could polish it up. If we could introduce that into our education system … we would transform the economy.” But the gap between real world opportunities and teaching is very acute in the creative industries where generic training strategies for creative entrepreneurship do not include community based VET responses. Creative Communities Igniting Change has been carefully structured to generate impact for the young unemployed and other socially excluded target groups, the communities that have experienced brain drain and high levels of unemployment and eyesore empty buildings and the VET providers who serve them, by achieving an effective and replicable core model for creative industries training and support within a community environment that provides access to VET for key target groups but also leads to broader economic innovation and revitalisation. Over 24 months, CCiC will achieve this in 4 regions in Ireland, UK, Poland and Sweden over 4 key deliverables:- 1) By establish 4 sustainable, sector specific Regional Alliances (in Ireland, UK/Northern Ireland, Poland and Sweden) we are forging collaborative relationships between VET providers and HEIs, creative industry bodies, economic actors, local governments and wider stakeholders that will optimise and mobilise the creative sector strategic response at regional level. 2) The resultant 4 Action Plans will improve the quality and relevance of creative industries training and support on offer and provide entrepreneurship pathways. The creation of a “Creative Communities Igniting Change Toolkit” will facilitate the replication of Regional Alliances of this nature across Europe. Such is our belief in the innovativeness of this strategic response, that we will commit to ensuring that our Toolkit will be adopted by at least 2 other regions (outside of our partnership) within the lifetime of the project. 3) Create and publish a course curriculum, guiding VET practitioners on the topics and skills most needed by emerging creative entrepreneurs from at risk target groups. Our blended learning “Creative Business as a Source of Employment” course, will help potential creative entrepreneurs to set up business in 90 days. We will also provide training to develop or enhance physical creative hubs in local communities. 4) Policy agenda at the heart of the project – CCIC will embed policy for development of creative regions by creating lasting partnership structures that will have a positive and long-lasting effect on the creative industries policy systems in each region. The CCiC project will engage with four clear target groups a) Unemployed youth, women, older people, people with disabilities, minority groups b) Communities with physical space that can be easily converted to a creative hub - often overlooked, we will embed this project in local communities. According to the European Cluster Observatory local culture and heritage provide opportunities for exploiting creative potential, by providing opportunities for scope and space for creative entrepreneurship to take place, e.g. integrated training and co-working spaces in community buildings; c) VET trainers and HEI tutors involved in creative industries disciplines and entrepreneurship for social inclusion d) Local authorities and public sector agencies in influencing policy - Affordable space for creative activity and enterprise is an enduring issue that needs policy maker influence. Artists and other creative people are routinely priced out of areas that become popular due to the very creative activity that they helped generate. Given the precedence of underutilised and eyesore properties as a legacy of recession, public bodies can incentivise reuse.