CSAD lecturer Alexandros Kontogeorgakopoulos launched the School’s role in the EASTN: DC European project at Kick-Start: Cardiff, the international conference for creative entrepreneurship organised by Visiting Arts that takes place in the city this week.
During the four year EASTN: DC project Alexandros and CSAD colleagues will be working with 17 partners from Europe, the USA, Canada and Brazil to experiment with digital creative practice and share good practice in research, teaching and economic development. The School will also be organising a digital arts festival and FabLab Cardiff will be hosting four international artists-in-residence who will be working with the School’s staff and students as well as creating their own new works.
Cabinet Minister for the Economy, Ken Skates AM, will also be addressing the Kick-Start: Cardiff conference and, among the high level speakers and trainers, design and media entrepreneurs, lawyers and policy makers, delegates will also hear from John Howkins, author of ‘The Creative Economy’ and Ann Harrison, author of ‘Music: The Business: The Essential Guide to the Law and the Deals’.
CSAD’s Gareth Loudon is running a one day creative entrepreneurs workshop for the conference’s thirty delegates, including CSAD graduate Ian Cooke Tapia, helping strengthening their skills as they explore the role and value of the creative entrepreneur and how the arts and creative industries are driving regional and rural economies.
Kick-Start: Cardiff is organised within the scope of the EU co-funded project Creative Tracks supporting young creative entrepreneurs worldwide and encouraging cross-cultural collaborations. Launched in 2016, Creative Tracks boasts a network of more than 2,200 creative and cultural entrepreneurs, associations or networks supporting culture and creative industries throughout the world. The project is co-funded by the EU and supported by Wallonie Bruxelles International and Shenzhen Design Week.
Yvette Vaughan Jones, Chief Executive, Visiting Arts, said “We chose to hold this event in Cardiff both because of its established strong creative industry presence in music, TV and film production and also because of the burgeoning new industries that are developing in the region – creative hubs in the Valleys and the City are providing spaces for designers, digital artists, performers and creative businesses of all kinds. We want to offer the opportunity for international collaboration and networking and hope that this is the start of productive joint ventures between creative entrepreneurs in Wales, the UK and internationally.”
