Northern Spaces for Creative Innovation

Project Duration

21 November 2021 – 31 October 2022

Creating spaces where creative innovation can flourish

Cross-sectoral cooperation is more and more present on the agendas of cultural and creative industries sector (CCI) practitioners and policy makers. Furthermore, cross-innovation is identified as a process by which CCI’s share information, collaborate, and work with the digital, economic, environmental, social and education sectors to promote new thinking as well as innovative products, services, and activities. But what practices, partnerships and policies are needed for such cross-sectoral collaborations to happen?
We invited cultural and creative industries practitioners to test collaboration models and processes that create opportunities, whether physical or digital, for cross-sectoral cooperation and innovation in the Northern Dimension countries. Moreover, we were looking for collaboration models that connect the CCI field with the digital, economic, environmental, social, education and other sectors, building up a cross-sectoral cooperation ecosystem.

With the Northern Spaces for Creative Innovation, we aim to:

  • Create  spaces  and  multilevel  partnerships  for  such  collaboration  to  flourish in Northern Dimension countries and beyond.
  • Promote new thinking as well as innovative products, services, and activities by fostering cross-sectorial connectivity, both face-to-face and or virtually.
  • Innovate  traditional  industrie,  transforming  practices  and  processes  that  affect multiple  entities  and  involve  relevant  societies  and  communities.
  • Address  challenges which are key to innovation practices that most societies and  economies will attempt to address in the coming years: health,  climate change, digitalization,  economic resilience with involvement of the local communities.
  • Build cross-border partnerships in the Northern Dimension region.
  • Ensure  the  models  found in  this  process  can  be  sustained and upscaled  for  future use.

How does it work?

A two-step approach: first you submit the idea, then you develop the project.

  •  Step 1 will shortlist 5 to 8 innovative ideas that will be further developed into project proposals. Selected project teams will have six months to further define their partnership and proposal.

–  At this stage, teams will develop their idea into a project plan that includes more details about the partnership, concrete activity plan, and evaluation and communication strategies.
– At this stage, a minimum contribution of EUR 5,000 and maximum of EUR 10,000 can be requested for testing of ideas and further development of the projects.

  • Step 2 will select 3 to 5 out of the innovative ideas selected in Step 1 that will be then implemented as pilot projects. Selected teams will have a year to pilot their projects.

– The implementation of the pilot actions will also include data collection for the evaluation that will be performed at the end of the projects.

– Per project a total maximum contribution of EUR 60,000 is available, which includes the contribution requested in Step 1.

 

The Northern Spaces for Creative Innovation is a part of the joint project between NDPC and EUNIC “Support to the NDPC”, co-funded by the European Union.

 


Partners

Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture

European Union National Institutes for Culture