The project aimed to set a new partnership between countries and connect organisations which are or will be taking part in the Capital of Culture initiative in order to prolong, diversify and extend some of the activities happening around these cultural events. The main goals were to give young people the opportunity to network, and build connections and relationships with peers from different countries, who practice the same forms of art/creative jobs, and who, after a difficult period directly connected by the pandemic, struggle to make a living from their work. Most importantly, the partnership wanted to offer participants access to a variety of workshops and activities which encourage them towards entrepreneurial ventures and build the right mindset and skill set, particularly in and around a strong European initiative such as Capital of Culture. The partnership also intends to foster new learning opportunities enhancing collaborative work between young people.
The creative sector suffered during the pandemic. Funding has been cut, and many artists have lost jobs and sources of income. According to preliminary estimates by Eurostat, the COVID-19 crisis may affect about 7.3 million cultural and creative jobs across the EU. The complexities of their status and the fact that over 30% of artists and cultural workers are self-employed made them particularly vulnerable. Moreover, entering the cultural sector after the pandemic has been particularly hard, young people’s experiences in remote environments had a negative impact on both their social and professional skills. Therefore, the chosen target group focused on young people. According to the OECD reports for Future Jobs Skills 2030 - entrepreneurial competencies and digital literacy are some of the key skills for young people. With the Capital of Culture events in Esch, the space was created to share knowledge and expertise in the creative sector, which has experienced the biggest challenges during the pandemic. The partnership was formed to include organisations linked to European Capitals of Cultures and was a great opportunity to extend a network and share experience in youth work.