"Creative business models for creative organisations" (2014-2015) was a pilot research project, conducted in partnership with "The Creative Plot" - an initiative by the Cultural and Economic Development departments of the City of Lund, and funded by Future of Lund Foundation, aiming at investigating sustainable business models for cultural organisations. This project set the ground for "Creative Lenses" (2015-2019) project, co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the EU, which explored the issue of sustainability of European arts and cultural organisations. Trans Europe Halles served as a managing partner.
What was the project about
The purpose of "Creative business models for creative organisations" research project was to investigate and take the first steps for attempting to answer the question:
How can arts and cultural organisations increase their own income or resources to develop more sustainable practices without compromising their vision, mission and not-for-profit values?
Key project actions
- A Creative Business Models workshop in Amsterdam entitled "The Art of Making Money" which was part of a TEH new culture strategies conference.
- An on-line survey of Trans Europe Halles members’ governance, structures, business activity and finances.
- The investigation of five (pilot) Trans Europe Halles members' business models and initial consultancy support to address current issues identified by them.
- A seminar in Pilsen, Czech Republic with the five (pilot) Trans Europe Halles members, the project managers and The Creative Plot Lund.
- Planning and preparation of an application to the European Union’s, Creative Europe programme in order to develop and extend the project in the longterm.
- Literature research and analysis of current issues and trends on the business models of arts and culture organisations.
In brief
| Start year | End year | Funded by | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2015 | Future of Lund Foundation | Sustainability |
Objectives
- To commence on-going research focused on the investigation of the creative business models adopted by TEH independent cultural centers.
- To commence an exploration and analysis about how to develop new business models and extend existing ones for arts and cultural organisations that are financially viable, realistic and sustainable.
- To explore ways in which arts/cultural centres and organisations can be enabled to improve their economic performance in a way that is truly beneficial to them and in the long term, their artists, audiences and communities.
- To develop a long-term project to understand, define, test and disseminate what are the most viable and suitable business models for arts and cultural organisations and seek support for this from the European Union’s Creative Europe programme.
TEH role
TEH was a co-managing partner, together with The Creative Plot (TCP), supported by the Culture Department of the City of Lund in Sweden, where TEH has its Coordination Office.
Who else was involved
The Creative Plot (TCP) was a part of the Business Department’s and Cultural Department’s work to develop and create sustainability within the cultural and creative sector in Lund. TCP was a platform where the creative sector develops strong ideas together with academia and businesses, and where the results contribute to society in different ways. TCP run a creative business incubator embedded in the innovation and entrepreneurial support structure and a helpdesk for culture organizations, projects, ideas and people.
Outputs
- Based on the outcomes of the Creative Business Models-project, the 4-year long European project “Creative Lenses” was conceived. It was granted 2 million EUR by the European Commission’s Creative Europe programme and runs from 2015 to 2019. The Creative Lenses project gathered a partnership of 13 cultural organisations, universities, consultancies and networks and aimed to strengthen and develop the business capacity and sustainability of European arts and cultural organisations.
- Project report based on the research conducted.