Abstract

Each creative sector has its own specificity, but they all face similar challenges and have similar needs. Even though the cultural and creative sector is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world, it is also one of the most vulnerable and is often overlooked by public and private investment, which is currently amplified due to the pandemic of covid, the rising price of electricity and gas, overall inflation, digitization of cultural outputs, and pressure of environmental regulations.
On the one hand, there are several programs in which the creative industries can get involved and receive the necessary finances (e.g. Horizon Europe – especially Pillar II., Collaborative Cloud for Europe's cultural heritage, European Heritage Hub, New European Bauhaus); on the other hand, there is a lack of experience in preparing and managing cross-sectoral projects, as they require really strong networking links and management able to coordinate the activities of institutions of different types, sizes and focus. In addition, the main actors, those who implement these projects, are often artists, designers, producers, curators, etc., generally people from professions for whom concepts such as "work packages, deliverables, gender balance, data management, impact, etc." do not mean anything. They have visions, enthusiasm for a cause and they know their craft, but they are not used to giving them a project framework and structure like people from academic environments.
What seems to be a weakness is actually a great opportunity, a gap that waits to be filled. The entire world of projects, grants and funding has a unified form that is completely alien to many industries, not just the creative sector. There is a need to create strategies that do not come from the top and are not based on theory alone, but instead are shaped by real needs, challenges and practical experience, i.e. bottom-up approach.
The presented concept of bottom-up science diplomacy in the creative sectors stands on 3 main pillars (3C):
Creation – Educating in and popularizing various creative sectors – local traditions, modern trends, designs, techniques – to a broad audience in order to give an insight into the whole process of creation from a thought to the final product, to interest and to engage.
Collaboration – In principle, the creative sector depends on cross-sectoral cooperation of: a) industries producing materials and tools used to create art (glass, metal, paper, paint, etc.); b) creatives, artists, designers, performers; c) educational and leisure institutions passing cultural values on to the next generation (art schools, museums, galleries, theatres, etc.).
Continuation – The future of the creative industries requires economic sustainability and environmental responsibility, which primarily means the use of alternative materials and the development of new technological processes.