David spoke about creative and cultural entrepreneurship at a conference of the EU-Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Programme in Ukraine on 24 September 2015.

The EU-Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Programme will help the development of the creative and cultural industries in Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova.

David was commissioned by the British Council in Ukraine to speak at the event, which was an agenda-setting event for the project.

David said:
“There is a huge potential in cultural and creative industries. In Liverpool, the old industries and the docks of manufacturing have gone. Many of the buildings are still there and they have been empty for a long time. Jobs disappeared. Liverpool, frankly, was on its knees. But now the same buildings are full of more than 200 digital enterprises that are working in digital animation, making adverts for banks, designing websites, being involved in [developing] computer games, doing business all over the world digitally; they – recording studios, photographers, artists and architects – are doing amazing things.”

He added:

“In the UK, there are many old factories that once were private manufacturing companies. But now manufacturing is going to China. And these factories are now full of many creative, digital or cultural businesses. And the provision of workspaces is one thing that can be done, and that can be simply co-working spaces, hot desks, simple studios, business incubators, accelerators. So, there are many things that can be done to help the development of creative and cultural industry.”

Speaking about the Fit for the Future project, David said:

“Creative industry can contribute to economic re-integration. The city of Liverpool supports more than 200 arts organizations – from the Liverpool philharmonic orchestra and Everyman Theater right down to smaller community art enterprises. And the message of Liverpool City Council to them was: look, guys, we love you, we support you, but maybe in the future we will not have as much money to give you for grants, so you need to start thinking in a more entrepreneurial way, you need to look at ways to generate income from entrepreneurship. And to help them to do that they put together the programme – that I led – which helped them thinking not just about how to get more grants, but helped them thinking in a more entrepreneurial way.”

 

The event took place during a week of activities to support the creative industries in Ukraine, which included the publication of David’s book ‘T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity’ in a Ukrainian translation.

The week’s activities also included David’s keynote speech at the Business Wisdom Summit.

A Creative Industries Forum, entitled “Creative Economy-Ukrainian start-up” launched an initiative to promote the creative industries in Ukraine.

David specialises in advising businesses in the creative industries in the UK and internationally.

As an experienced and qualified business adviser, he is able to help creative enterprises to achieve their goals by using smart business thinking and the most appropriate techniques and management methods.

“As an economic development agency, we help creative and digital businesses to grow and create jobs. We are judged on results, so we use Dave as a business adviser because he delivers results.”
Kevin McManus. Head of Creative and Digital.
Merseyside ACME / Liverpool Vision.

David works through business growth projects including Growth Accelerator and Growth Vouchers to provide strategic marketing advice, as well as directly contracting with clients in the creative industries to provide strategic marketing consultancy. He is Registered Expert with the Business Growth Service in the UK. He is also registered with Advice Finder and provides business growth advice through the Merseyside Business Support Programm (MBSP).

David is a great mentor and business coach. He is very responsive to our needs and understands the complicated business models of the Creative Industries”
– Jon Wetherall. Managing Director. Cool Game Arcade Ltd

—

The purpose of the EU-Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Programme is to support the cultural and creative sectors’ contribution to sustainable humanitarian, social and economic development in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

The Programme is focused on four main areas: research and the development of evidence-gathering mechanisms; capacity-building; raising awareness of the cultural and creative sectors potential role in sustainable social and economic development; providing opportunities for international cultural cooperation.

Activities to achieve this include mapping, training, online learning, study visits, partnership fairs, cultural leadership initiatives, working groups, use of local and international experts, toolkits, an award scheme, networking and sharing good practicethrough the website, Facebook page, newsletter etc.

How the Programme can support you

Conducting research and developing evidence-based policy
Contributing to cultural policy reforms
Capacity building for the cultural and creative sectors
Creating synergies between public, private and civil society actors
Providing information and opportunities for international cooperation
Raising awareness of the role of culture in sustainable development
Sharing knowledge and good practice
The Programme’s priorities

Agenda Setting
Win-Win Alliances
Building a Positive Climate for Culture
Evidence Building, Learning and Legacy
Cultural and Creative Industries Capacity Building
Mainstreaming Eastern Partnership Culture, Cultural Leaders and Organisations in the ‘European Cultural Space’
Culture and Crisis
The Programme’s Principles

Consultation and Agenda-Setting
Participatory Inclusion through Shared Values
Creativity, Innovation and Change
Tolerance, Respect and Reconciliation
Partnership, Mutuality and Sharing Success including between public and private organisations and players
Topics covered by the Programme include project cycle management, cultural leadership, cultural and statistical research, advocacy, fund raising, audience development, cultural journalism and communication capacity-building.

Although a regional programme, it is heavily country-focused with designated professional country coordinators as an essential part of our core team.

The Programme will run for three years from 2015 to 2018. The budget of the Programme is €4,2 million. Following a competitive EU tendering process the Programme is managed by a consortium led by the British Council, in partnership with the Soros Foundation Moldova, the National Centre for Culture of Poland and the Goethe-Institute.

Follow the Programme’s page at Facebook www.facebook.com/culturepartnership and visit the website www.culturepartnership.eu to get updates on strategy, best practice, tools and opportunities.