The Background

Launched in November 2007, Creative Collaboration is a new arts initiative to build networks for dialogue and debate across the arts communities of South East Europe and the UK, aiming to enrich the cultural life of Europe and its surrounding countries.

A series of unique international networking events for members of the creative community were hosted in five cities across the region, in Istanbul, Bucharest, Athens, Varna and Jerusalem. These events were called Open Spaces and were facilitated by the UK’s internationally acclaimed and award-winning theatre group, Improbable, using Open Space Technology. Open Space Technology is a methodology that allows participants to define the agenda and discuss the issues they feel most passionate allowing them to share their ambitions, needs and concerns.

Creative professionals, including practitioners, representatives of arts organisations, producers, academics, and policy makers from a range of sectors from across the UK and South East Europe, were invited to address the following questions:

Creative Collaboration in Europe
How can we work together to achieve our goals?

Art and Public Space…
Who is Shaping the City and for Whom?

Social Inclusion
Exclusion to Inclusion: what are we doing to ensure the arts and culture sector embraces all sections of society?

Creative Cities
How can we develop our cities to be more creative and diverse?

Professional Development
Looking In and Facing Out: how can we best use international partnerships to enrich professional development in the arts?

Creative Collaboration Fund

The Open Space events helped us to develop new networks and highlight issues around collaboration - related to practice, education, policy and politics (to name just a few of the elements that were discussed). Whilst it wasn’t possible to invite everyone we would have wished to attend these Open Space events, we are now extending the invitation to participate in Creative Collaboration to a wider network.

The British Council has made available a Creative Collaboration Fund to support collaborative, partnership projects between the South East Europe region (please see the list of participating countries below) and the UK. These projects can include performances, publications, exhibitions, installations, networks, websites or workshops, though this list is not exhaustive. We are now accepting invites for the first stage; the ‘Concept Note’, for which we will be accepting applications until 10 October 2008.

Assessment criteria and information about the structure of the funding is provided on the application form which can be downloaded by clicking this link. If your concept note is successful at this first stage then you will be invited to apply for the second stage to help realise the creation and delivery of your project.

Lead partners based in the UK should submit their completed Concept Note applications to the most appropriate British Council art form specialist, listed below, before 10 October 2008.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact a British Council Arts member of staff in our UK office - again please choose the appropriate person according to the art form that your concept note most closely relates to:

Christine Bardsley - Film: Christine.Bardsley@britishcouncil.org

Jonathan Barker - Literature: Jonathan.Barker@britishcouncil.org

Cathy Graham - Music: Cathy.Graham@britishcouncil.org

Alison Moloney - Design & Architecture: Alison.Moloney@britishcouncil.org

Andrew Jones - Drama & Dance: Andrew.Jones@britishcouncil.org

Beatrice Pembroke - Creative Economy: Beatrice.Pembroke@britishcouncil.org

Louise Wright - Visual Arts: Louise.Wright@britishcouncil.org

The countries in the South East Europe region that are involved in Creative Collaborations are: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Israel, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.