2017 annual work programme for the implementation of the Creative Europe Programme
The European Commission has published 2017 annual work programme for the implementation of the Creative Europe Programme.
Creative Europe recognises both cultural and economic value of all cultural and creative work. Therefore, the programme is well positioned to feed in the Commission's political priorities for jobs, growth, fairness and democratic change and to generate spillover effects in other sectors. The Culture sub-programme can help promoting intercultural dialogue, creating bridges between cultures and fostering people-to-people dialogue.
The paper particularly emphasizes the role of cultural sector in helping Europen societies to deal with the migration crisis: "<…> Europe is facing an unprecedented number of refugees, and it seeks to support its Member States in tackling this exceptional situation. After the initial emergency phase, the EU has to ensure the best social, cultural and economic integration of this new population which is settling within its borders. Culture and audio-visual can play a key role in bridging the gap between people in a peaceful and mutually respectful way. The Culture sub-programme will contribute to this effort in 2017, as well as the cross-sectoral strand. "
Challenges
According to the document, the key challenges faced by the cultural sector today are:
a) the lack of a real "single cultural space" at a European level: European professionals are confronted with a multitude of cultures, linguistic areas and consequently a fragmented cultural space.
b) the impact of globalisation and the digital shift.
c) the chronic shortage of access to diversified financial sources.
Policy priorities
The Culture sub-programme of Creative Europe seeks to support cultural projects mainly working on
a) transnational mobility
b) audience development (accessible and inclusive culture)
c) capacity building:
- digitisation
- new business models
- education and training
Guarantee Facility
In 2017 the Guarantee Facility will build on the progress made since its launch in 2016. It will continue to provide guarantees to lending and credit institutions, so called financial intermediaries (e.g. banks), to encourage them to offer loans or guarantees and provide finance for cultural and creative sectors initiatives. This will enhance access to finance of SMEs in the cultural and the creative sectors, therefore strengthening their financial capacity and reinforcing their competitiveness through market-based solutions.
Master degree in Art and Science
Creative Industries are experiencing a significant skills gap at the crossing of creativity and technology. To respond to this gap at European level and to foster talent and innovation, it is proposed to promote the creation of masters and university courses fostering cross-sectoral curricula combining technology with the Arts to produce knowledgeable and creative workforces. Blending of arts and ICT with entrepreneurial skills and business exposure embedded with arts and design and creativity techniques will be truly innovative.
