Break in the Desk Erasmus Project

Project Title

Break in the Desk

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The term “cultural industries” is used almost interchangeably with the concept of “creative industries”. Whereas the notion “cultural industries” emphasizes the cultural heritage and traditional and artistic elements of creativity, the notion of “creative industries” tends to place emphasis on individual creative talent and innovation, and on the exploitation of intellectual property. Those industries (performing, visual arts, broadcast media, digital games, design, creative marketing, PR, fashion, cultural heritage) which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property are a powerful tool to activate new learning processes (mainly non formal) for EU citizens and community.
Analysis made on the sector pointed out the potential contribution of CCIs to the economy and society first (KEA 2006) in terms of wealth and jobs (UNCTAD 2008/2011), then on the positive spillover effects on employment other non-creative sectors (KEA 2009).

The project “Break in the Desk” has developed a training package to train creative and artists in order to stimulate their entrepreneurial spirit making them able to activate new business and projects, creating economic value from their performances and activities. In doing so, the Strategic Partnership, built by the project, has also exploited creative thinking and non-formal training competences of CCIs to facilitate a process of innovation in SMEs from non-creative sectors and Public Administration departments. CCI operators can play a role in the process of innovation of other economic sectors, in which creativity is not common as a feature, by applying creative, non formal facilitations and training through transversal methodologies (“break in” intervention).

Project objectives have been:
– to promote entrepreneurship education for artists and cultural operators performing an action of “translation” of terms and concepts from the business sector to the world of arts and culture;
– to support sustainability of artistic and cultural organizations and projects through the process of training activated by the project;
– to enhance the relevance of the learning offer for CCI operators, by developing new and innovative approaches to spread a creative/innovative culture inside SME/PA
– to develop and test methodologies, tools and concepts that facilitate organizational development and product creation inside SME/PA
– to foster the assessment of transversal skills and promote the take-up of practical entrepreneurial experiences

The Strategic Partnership activated to reach project objectives and develop related intellectual outputs was composed by:
– Creative and Cultural industries coaching and training organizations: Materahub (Italy)
– Creatives and Artists representatives: Collage Arts (UK)
– VET organizations experts in the field of CCIs and recognition/assessment of outcomes: Rinova (UK)
– Local public development organizations representative of SMEs interests: Consorcio Provincial de Desarollo Economico Cordoba/Instituto Provincial de Desarollo Economico Cordoba (Spain)
– Clusters of Creative and Cultural Industries: Cultural Innovation Competence Center (Hungary)
– Universities dealing with research/education on Creative and Cultural Industries with a specific focus on training and development programs for creative entrepreneurship: Aalto University/Mikkeli University/XAMK University (Finland)
– Public Authorities in charge of local policy for education, youth, job: Rome Municipality Department for Youth, Equal Opportunities and Entrepreneurship (Italy)
– A European network of Creative and Cultural organizations: Euromedinculture(s) (France)
– An SMEs business association/chamber of commerce: Sibiu Chamber of Commerce (Romania)
– A technical partner in charge of the dissemination, networking and e-learning platform: Link Campus University (Italy)
– A regional development agency that promoted urban regeneration through Creative Industries valorization: SAMOA (France)

Project target group was composed of primary beneficiaries (150 artists and creative involved during barcamps – 21 selected for the training activities) and indirect beneficiaries (the selected Public Organization (Saint Nazaire Development Agency) and SME to pilot the “break in intervention”).

The project has finally:
– trained artists and creative from Italy, UK, Finland, France, Hungary, Romania and Spain to stimulate their entrepreneurial spirit and develop their business skills
– offered them a web based social elearning platform for further training and networking
– trained them to become facilitators of innovation in SMEs and Public Administrations through process of creative intervention
– shared a policy to support creativity in its application to VET system, entrepreneurship education and spillover effects with other EUcountries not involved in the project

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 434703 Eur

Project Coordinator

CONSORZIO MATERAHUB INDUSTRIE CULTURALI E CREATIVE & Country: IT

Project Partners

• S.A.M.O.A. Societé d’aménagement de la Métropole Ouest Atlantique
• Cultural Innovation Competence Centre Association
• COLLAGE ARTS
• RINOVA LIMITED
• LINK CAMPUS UNIVERSITY
• KAAKKOIS-SUOMEN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY
• CAMERA DE COMERT, INDUSTRIE SI AGRICULTURA SIBIU