Information Day by RWG for the European Project CHERRY
The Region of Western Greece (RWG), a partner in the European project CHERRY, which is implemented within the framework of the Interreg Europe 2021-2027 programme, on Thursday, July 4, 2024, organized at its facilities in Patras (Regional Council Hall), an information day for interested parties from the area of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI).
The event was organized under the auspices of the Regional Vice Governor for Entrepreneurship, Research and Innovation, Mr Panagiotis Papadopoulos, with the participation of artists, representatives of cultural associations, representatives of the Municipality of Patras, the University of Peloponnese, the Ministry of Culture (Ephorate of Antiquities of Aetoloakarnania), the Chamber of Aetoloakarnania, Museum directors (Xenokrateio Archaeological Museum and Messolonghi Salt Museum) as well as representatives of the Region of Western Greece.
During the event, there was an update on the actions carried out to date, as well as those that will be carried out in the future within the project’s framework. Among others, good practices that have been presented in the project were covered, the methodology followed for their evaluation, the importance of the project for CCI, and how this is connected to the Smart Specialization Strategy of RWG. Special reference was made to the pilot actions that will be carried out in the next six months of the project and the benefits expected for the CCI sector stakeholders.
Ms A. Pyrgaki, Head of the Development Planning Directorate of RWG, welcomed and thanked the guests and emphasized the importance of the CHERRY project in contributing to the strengthening of the CCI sector, which was one of the sectors significantly affected by the pandemic.
Afterwards, Ms S. Karveli, Project Manager for the RWG, presented the most important points of the Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS3) of the RWG in the field of CCI and its priorities, as they have been shaped to date, taking into account the opinion of industry representatives through the consultation that took place on 20/3/2024. Ms Karveli pointed out the contribution that the CHERRY project will have in the effort to strengthen the CCI sector through the exchange of experiences and knowledge at an interregional level with other European countries, the study of good practices, and the organization of pilot actions for the training and strengthening of capacities of CCI bodies.
Ms E. Papazacharopoulou (external expert of RWG) presented the methodology and selection criteria used to evaluate the good practices from the countries participating in the project for the 3 categories of study (Local Development, Urban Transformation, Cultural & Natural Heritage) and the Greek entries that stood out in each category, among several nominations that took place.
Following this, Mr S. Vasiliadis (Living Prospects Ltd-ECOBRIDGE P.C. - external expert of RWG) presented the main study visits - good practices for the utilization/promotion of CCI during the 4 transnational meetings that took place in the context of the project in Italy (Trieste and Venice), Hungary (Veszprém), and Belgium (Kortrijk).
Mr P. Filippidis (Living Prospects Ltd-ECOBRIDGE P.C. - external expert of RWG), completed the list of presentations by presenting the actions implemented within the framework of the project and those scheduled for the next semester. Mr Filippidis focused on the pilot action that RWG will carry out in the project (educational workshops for the development of new collaborative projects and digital services for CCI entities) and the educational material that will be created and which will contribute to the training of CCI entities to the new needs of the time. Both the pilot action and the educational material are under configuration and are expected to be implemented in the following semesters of the project (September 2024 – August 2025).
At the end of the event, there was an open discussion between the participants and the organizers, with the aim of clarifying the implementation framework of the CHERRY project on the one hand, and the connection of the Region's Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3) with the RWG on the other. More specifically, ideas can be drawn from the CHERRY project (thanks to the European dimension of the project and the collaborations with other member countries of the European Union), while resources (funding of innovative ideas) can be drawn from "RIS3" in accordance with the forthcoming announcement.
It is noted that the CHERRY project is co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg EUROPE 2021-2027 programme, with the Italian region Friuli Venezia – Giulia as the lead partner and focuses on the effort to improve policies to strengthen artistic creation and the resilience of cultural institutions after the pandemic.
For more information, visit the project website: https://www.interregeurope.eu/cherry