Creative Collaboration is a British Council project in partnership with artists, cultural leaders and creative entrepreneurs across South East Europe and the UK.

The project uses innovative approaches to networking to encourage arts and cultural leaders from different countries and different art forms to talk together, learn from each other and develop new partnerships for effective cross-border working.

Launched in Istanbul last year, with support from the UK’s award-winning theatre group ‘Improbable’, the project is bringing together leading arts professionals to work on the issues that are most important to them such as public space, arts and professional development, social inclusion, cultural leadership and creative cities.

For more information on the project please visit britishcouncil.org/creativecollaboration.

Successful Arts in Contemporary Environment Workshop

This new project has gathered two composers, a musicologist and a Romanian Contemporary Music Ensemble for a professional collaboration during an exciting and original workshop between 30 July - 7 August 2009, in Cisnadie, Romania. Their goal was helping young musicians to find viable solutions for a successful artistic career.

Beside technical aspects in composition, research and performing, the participants discussed probed ways to achieve public recognition by efficiently interacting with the contemporary environment.

Guest teachers:

			Param Vir				composer – London
			Kenneth Hesketh				composer – London
			Roza Nolcheva				musicologist and cultural manager – Skopje
			Philip Cashian				Head of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music - London

With extraordinary participation of: Romanian Contemporary Music Ensemble

Organizer: Exces Music

Partners: Chester & Novello, JMM - Jeunesses Musicales Macedonia

Using the platform of ICon Arts Festival, the workshop ended with a concert in Sibiu Philharmonic’s Hall, with works written by masters and students. This helped raising the public's interest in international contemporary music and also provided a good opportunity for the young composers to improve their professional CV by appearing on stage along with confirmed musicians.

From each participant country there were two scholarships offered for promising talented students to attend the workshop for free. This sums a 20% subvention out of the total 30 places available for this module.

The entrepreneurial skills development workshop was coordinated by Roza Nolcheva (Balkan representative for a London based Artist management agency & Head producer of the Macedonian Philharmonic) and a British Council representative (Philip Cashian - Head of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music.).