Dialogue between regions, institutions and training organisations is key to overcoming the fragmentation that still characterises the Italian cultural and creative sector. It was with this aim in mind that Materahub took part in the Novara edition of ArtLab as part of the panel ‘Culture, education and regions: building a regional ecosystem for cultural education’.
Organised by F.i.Re. (Formazione in Rete), the session represented an important moment of convergence between various national initiatives that are rethinking training models and regional policies for the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI).
An open debate: comparing regional models and networks
The meeting was structured as a forum for exchanging perspectives and best practices emerging from different regional contexts:
- The F.i.Re. (Formazione in Rete) network: as the organiser of the panel, it highlighted the value of cooperation between training organisations in the North-West, emphasising the need to create shared training standards and pathways of excellence rooted in local communities.
- The perspective of institutions and research: the integration of regional vocational education and training (VET) policies with the actual needs of the cultural sector featured contributions from experts and representatives from academia and cultural foundations, including the Fitzcarraldo Foundation and regional research and innovation hubs.
- The Southern model with Materahub and the Creative South Regional Skills Partnership (RSP): Materahub presented the case of the Creative South Regional Skills Partnership (RSP), the strategic alliance involving Basilicata, Puglia and strategic partners in Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna (including ART-ER and the Fitzcarraldo Foundation).
The event demonstrated how, despite originating from different contexts and geographical areas, the challenges are shared: tackling the skills mismatch, fostering the digital and ecological transition, and ensuring career continuity for new generations of creatives.
EVOLVE: the European response presented at ArtLab
During the discussion at ArtLab, Materahub was delighted to share with the speakers and the audience a piece of news crucial to the consolidation and expansion of the Creative South RSP: the approval of the European EVOLVE project (Erasmus+ Policy Experimentation).
Inspired by and rooted in the experience of the Creative South RSP, EVOLVE will enable the testing, on a European scale, of innovative solutions applicable to various regional ecosystems:
- Governance & Multi-Stakeholder Models: testing replicable toolkits to forge stable alliances between the public and private sectors and the education sector.
- AI-based Skills Intelligence: using digital tools (such as the AI Skills-Matcher) to analyse training needs in real time and align them with European standards (ESCO, EQF, CYANOTYPES).
- Micro-credentials and Training Modules: development of flexible pathways (CREDEX model) designed for professionals and freelancers, with the aim of training over 250 sector practitioners.
- Transnational exchange: direct dialogue not only between Italian regions (Basilicata, Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont), but also with international partners such as Euskampus / KSIgune (Basque Country) and Region Skåne (Sweden).
We look forward with great enthusiasm to future developments and the new partnership opportunities that will arise for the RSP Creative South.
