As an active member of ECHN, the European Creative Hubs Network, we took part in the Creative Skills Week conference which took place at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, from the 10-13th of October 2023.
What urgent skills are needed to face the current climate emergency and our social, educational and cultural contexts? What gaps exist in education? What skills are missing in the creative & cultural field? How can a creative hub play an active part, and collaborate in skills development?
These are just some of the questions which we were discussing along with professionals, professors, and experts working across Europe.
CSW2023’s aim was to create synergy between existing activities, projects and communities, promoting new approaches to re-skilling and up-skilling of creative professionals.
It was an inspiring initiative, in which we learnt about many innovative and inclusive creative projects, questioned our perspective on what skills are needed (and for what), and extended our network meeting many lovely professionals. We talked about the need to empower through skills development, and the urgency of ‘green skills’, ethical awareness, empathy, critical thinking, and our engagement with local communities.
We also attended a talk about entrepreneurial skillsets, learning methods and educational approaches by Cultuurloket, and hosted an open discussion session focused on how hubs and Art Academies can collaborate to build sustainable ecosystems for artists.
CSW2023 was part of the EU Pact for Skills for the Cultural and Creative Industries Ecosystem, the Alliance for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills CYANOTYPES (funded by the European Commission Erasmus+ Programme) and the European Creative Hubs Network‘s programme (co-funded by the European Commission).
Have a look at the beautiful photos by Paul Pibernig.
