Creative economy

A creative economy is one of the strategic pillars of the Košice 2013 project. On one hand, potential exists for the development of some particular fields such as design, new media, music, visual art and architecture and, on the other hand, the investment part of the Košice 2013 project will bring completion of a missing infrastructure. The establishment of a creative quarter such as the Barracks/Culture Park cultural centre could be an important step in kick starting and maintaining a creative community in the city.

Activities:
• We are completing a survey of the existing capacity necessary for the creation of interdisciplinary cooperation between universities, scientific institutions, innovation centres, etc.
• We are identifying possible interconnections between production and dependency between various sections of the creative industry.
• The result will be a database of organisations acting in the industry and accessible on the internet. This database will assist in identifying the basic sectors in the region which will contribute towards more effective establishment of a support system and improve conditions for development of these sectors.
• The target groups for consuming the products of the creative and cultural industry as well as their requirements shall be defined. The database will not only contain statistical data but also a visual presentation, reports and references.
• An annual publication on the activities and performance of the creative industry in Slovakia will be created.

A creative economy as a stimulator of city development
A creative economy and a creative industry bring a direct link between culture and an economic form of innovative approach to traditional forms of the economy. This is the connection of the untraditional and the almost contradictory - economics/industry with art. Small inputs with the use of human potential and outputs which significantly influence city development place a creative industry amongst new trends in the development of European cities.
A creative economy has the ability to transform Košice into an economically more active and more attractive place to live. The importance of this section is increasing every year which is also shown in surveys of the increase in employment and turnover in this area of the economy at European level. Creative industry forms an important part of the Košice Interface 2013 project.
The Fast Forward project commenced in 2010 in order to improve awareness of this type of economics. Education in this field is currently most significant for starting this type of industry in Slovakia. One of the basic strategies to support creative sectors is incubators for small and medium subjects acting in sectors of the creative industry (e.g. design, media, architecture, music production, film, IT, PC games, etc.). Part of the Košice Interface 2013 project is the creation of a Centre for Education in the Cultural and Creative Industry (CVOKK) in the Barracks/Culture Park.
Several meetings with partners from abroad have taken place since January 2009, which are providing valuable consultation for addressing the issues of a creative economy in Košice. Transfer of know-how and education are the most important spring board for successful introduction of innovations in Slovakia. Using the experience of the German town of Essen, which has changed from a post-industrial town into a modern and attractive place via the Ruhr.2010 project, this activity will bring specialists in the given issues to Slovakia. At the same time, it will illustrate the possibilities for Košice to implement trial projects for supporting the development of a creative economy which will serve as a good example to other Slovak towns and regions.
The following international conferences took place in Košice within the creative economy project:
• International conference Shaping the Future /Hotel Double Tree by Hilton Košice/September 2010
• International conference Shaping the New /Barracks/Culture Park, Košice/June 2011
• International conference Creative Industry/East Slovakia Gallery Košice/December 2011