The project

Cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are seen as drivers for economic growth, job creation and social inclusion throughout the EU. However, there are deficiencies and mismatches in the skills and competencies for management and entrepreneurship of the CCI professionals, especially when graduated from art HEIs. Simultaneously, the knowledge of business students about the specifics of CCIs is limited. That, in a way, hinders the creative economy`s full potential for growth.

CCIs need genuine interaction between different fields of research and studies in a way that education will not just encourage a new mindset geared toward the valorisation of the creative economy, but also foster a better understanding of the CCIs as “beacons” of a knowledge-based inclusive society. In this regard, FENICE aims to offer an innovative interdisciplinary approach to building entrepreneurial and innovation-management skills in students and graduates that pursue careers in CCIs.

FENICE seeks to enhance the quality and relevance of business and art education for the CCIs by focusing on the non-technological innovations that are created within the creative economy in five programme countries. It is designed to:

  • Support research in the field of management and entrepreneurship for the CCIs in view of adapting education to the skills needs, innovation and sustainability value
  • Initiate cross-fertilisation between business/economics, arts, heritage, IT and media studies and develop innovative syllabuses on this basis
  • Elaborate a model for HEI-business partnership to promote incubation, start-ups and entrepreneurship in CCIs in the local communities

FENICE envisages the elaboration of course syllabuses, training materials and e-learning contributing to covering identified skills gaps and providing opportunities for setting-up both traditional and LLL courses, adapted to the needs of the non-traditional students. Finally, FENICE will creatе an e-learning platform that provides courses in Management and Entrepreneurship in CCIs, and introduces a model for HEI-business partnership for fostering entrepreneurial thinking of students and for career counseling of graduates.

The project’s intended longer-term impact is:

to reconfirm the credibility of the CCIs as innovative, inclusive and sustainable sectors

to facilitate knowledge and capacity transfer in managing the CCIs between the European education institutions and regions

to contribute to the development of interdisciplinary education programs that respond to the current and prospective skills’ needs of the CCIs and increase the positive spillover effect on the other industries and society

to contribute to the establishment of university-driven creative partnerships involving business and public authorities the support the CCIs within the communities and regions