Fusion Art Center

New sharing trajectories, from Matera to Padova and Madrid

It was the last days of January but in Matera the climate was already mild. Fusion Art Center, an organization that I represent, together with other cultural and artistic realities from nine countries in Europe, was at the first ICCI Project meeting organized by Matera Hub through the European Creative Europe program, to discuss and develop new operational models in the internationalization of the cultural enterprise. An experience that has allowed us to get to know each other closely and discuss ourselves on common issues, shared problems and new possibilities for international collaboration.

Fusion Art Center is a cultural association that develops projects related to artistic research and curatorial practice through exhibitions and training, along with projects for the development of connections between art and non-artistic contexts such as business, social, innovation. Our headquarters is Neo, a shared space for research and artistic production, which we have opened to lay the foundations of our cultural enterprise.

What I feel as fundamental for the development of my organization is the reflection on how to positively affect the territory and create a dialogue with the social and cultural fabric of the city, with its changes and needs, through the artistic languages we deal with.
To do this locally it’s necessary to create networks that works, not only between independent organizations, but with institutions and municipalities.

If we move the lens into a global dimension, the mechanism is the same, the distances and specific competencies changes, but the themes (and problems) of the relationship between cultural organizations and the territory are the same. What changes are the strategies and that is why the exchange and sharing between operators and professionals in the cultural sector of different countries are essential.

Starting form this, I would like to talk about the meeting in Matera with Elvira Rilova, a Spanish curator who lives and works in Madrid and Mexico, who has been working for years as well as exhibition projects, including training for artists and curators with the project “Acelerador de artistas “. Italy and Spain are not so different countries and in fact in our comparison many common themes have emerged. The interest and the sympathy were therefore reciprocal and with this also the possibilities to exchange skills and experiences. At that time I was working on the creation of a series of meetings for
emerging artists and curators and immediately the idea was born to put together forces to bring Elvira’s experience in Italy, in our center.

A few months after I invite her to come in Padua to hold the first masterclass for artists and curators as guest curator, and it was a success. We set up the work by following his method, and then we held the workshop together for the many people registered. It was an opportunity to compare our approaches and for me to learn a lot from his longest experience.

In 2019 our collaboration will continue with other projects that were born in the beautiful days when Elvira was in Padua and we had the opportunity to talk about future collaborations. I have also been invited to take care of a part of the Artist Book Fair that is organized by her every year in Castilla and León and this for me is a chance to make my work more global and inspired.

Willing to go abroad with your creation?  But how to be sure is the product suitable to the market, or do you need to do changes, do you need to add services to the product, or do you need to consider totally different approach, if product or service is not appropriate to the market. Or is the market right for your product at all?

Going to the fair is one option, especially for designers – it is a good way to get some feedback to the product.

There are several suitable design fairs in Nordic countries. Creative  Estonia can suggest for example Formland in Danmark, Formex in Sweden, Habitare in Finland, Oslo Design Fair in Norway and Disainiturg in Estonia.

Preparing your stand  has to start already at least half a year before the fair. You have to think through the layout, what products do you display, how to ship your products, what kind of contacts would you like to get, send out invitations to your stand, what kind of infomaterials you have to produce beforehand, how to manage the contacts afterwards etc.

Any feedback is good – it might happen that nobody is interested in your product or, there is a huge success. Creative Estonia took a most famous estonian jewellery designer to Habitare in Finland – and  to our surprise finnish people were not intersted. But the desinger  met an agent from Japan and received a huge contract to sell his creations there. And vice a versa  – one product we were sceptical to take with us was a great success and the examples were all sold out in couple of hours.

So, our opinion is – attending to the fair is one of the best options to test the market.

It seems you know that your products or services are needed at that particular market. Or is it so?

Going abroad with your creations is not cheap – so you have to think it through carefully.

Firstly, it is wise to  create a list of information you need to know in order to make your decision. For example – what is the market volume, the  growth trends, what kind of competitors are already there, the difference from your home market, who are the main buyers ect.

Google a lot, this is very helpful. You can find out necessary information in articles in media, some market overviews, annual reports .

Of cource, you have to put some effort to the primary research as well. You have to talk with people, observe their behavior, conduct some focus groups – all these can give you some valuable information and you will save lots of money not doing all the mistakes.

Only after these steps you are able to decide, which market is right to you – what product would be the best to introduce there and who will be you partners.  And the most important – which communication channels to use to reach your audience/clients and how much all of this costs.

“Creative Business Cup, the place to be!” this is some of the first information you find when surfing the internet for Creative Business Cup.

CBC (in short) is the first and unique global business competition for creative startups. Today, the competition involves more than 65 countries around the world and each year the “world champion” of creative industries is announced.

Creative Business Cup is the place to be for all those creative entrepreneurs who are looking for international markets and the opportunity to present their startup to business insiders, global investors and intermediaries.

It is the place to be to start a process of internationalization as we imagine it, applying the principles of ICCI project.

Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Rasmus Wiinstedt Tscherning, CEO and Founder of Creative Business Cup.

“How would you describe Creative Business Cup in your own words?”
Creative Business Cup is the opportunity for startups to absorb knowledge, inspiration and establish valuable connections. It is a way to show the array of potential that lies within the creative industries, and to showcase how creative ideas migrate into every sector and industry category in one way or another. For the entrepreneurs, this is their chance to connect to investors and global markets and strengthen their innovative capabilities to the benefit of industry and society.

“What was the vision that brought you to imagine Creative Business Cup?”
My vision is deeply rooted in a fascination and strong belief in the creative economy. Working for 20 years within the creative industries, and always having an entrepreneurial spirit myself, it was natural for me to combine the two. As CEO of Centre for Cultural and Experience Economy, I had the idea to establish a competition based on innovation and creativity. I reached out to my network and made it happen. At that time, 17 countries participated. That was the birth of Creative Business Cup as we know it today.

“How can an event like Creative Business Cup help Creative and Cultural startups internationalize their business?”
Participating in CBC means showcasing your idea in front of professional and knowledgeable jury members, and other potential stakeholders. The entrepreneurs receive valuable feedback that they can apply to their business model or product, that may help them reach their goals. Creative Business Cup is an international event, which means that jury, speakers, entrepreneurs and guests come from various backgrounds and have different values and pain points. This gives the entrepreneurs a nuanced picture of what business looks like around the world, which will help them to seek out the markets in which their product creates most value and change.

“What is the role of intermediaries (national hosts) in Creative Business Cup?”
In addition to hosting the national Creative Business Cup finals, our National Partners are our link to the different corners of the world. Through our National Partners, we have established a network and a movement that brings entrepreneurs from Botswana together with investors from Norway, and help startups in Thailand bring their business to Europe; We connect the creative innovators around the world and brings forth their full potential. This is only possible due to our network of dedicated National Partners.

“How does Creative Business Cup help the entrepreneurs in better structuring their offer for the CCI sector?”
Creative Business Cup highly broadens the entrepreneurs’ horizon as they are introduced to a wide range of people from the CCI sector. It also deepens their knowledge, as they receive feedback, pitch training, training about investor-readiness and much more. The competition highlights how creative and innovative competences brings value to the wider economy, as the ideas presented are extensively different ­- from African jam to Chinese robot technology-  but are all rooted in a creative mindset.

“Do you have interesting stories of participants from CBC that you would consider best practices of internationalization?”
Well, I don’t want to be biased… But a great example is actually the winner of CBC Denmark from 2013, Cinema dell’ Arte. They invented a suit that detects your movements, and directly transfer them to an illustrated character on a big screen – creating an intersection between live theatre and movie theatre. The actors wearing the suits are able to interact with the audience, though they are illustrated cartoon characters. This was the beginning of what is now called Rokoko. The concept with the wearable suit that detects motions is the same, but their business idea was upscaled to accommodate a bigger market. Today, they have customers all around the world and their invention is applied in education, medicine and obviously entertainment industry, such as gaming and movie productions.

“What has the future in store for Creative Business Cup?”
As a highly dynamic entity, Creative Business Cup is constantly evolving and growing. In 2018, we have more National Partners than ever and thus more national finals than we have ever had. As an organization, CBC has many plans and visions, including regional initiatives in e.g. MENA and Africa as well as sector specific initiatives such as “BUILD” and “Welcome”. On our website, www.creativebusinesscup.com, people can stay up-to-date on our current initiatives and plans for the future.

On May 18th, Estonian cultural and creative entrepreneurs gathered to our Culture Hub to listen about different possibilities to go to international markets with their products.
Creative Estonia held a seminar “Where is the door to knock to get funding for internationalisation?”

Firstly, CEO of Creative Estonia, Ms Eva Leemet introduced the training program prepared by ICCI Project for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurs and their intermediaries on internationalisation. She suggested strongly to take the course and think through all the aspects before deciding. “Going abroad is not cheap, you will need some financial support”, she said.

Creative Estonia had invited a local major bank, two different crowdfunding platforms and an angel investor to explain, what are their requirements to finance a business.

Bur before that, a well-known public speaking trainer and an expert on creative industries, Mr Ragnar Siil explained the basics of pitching. “Most important – you have to know, why are you speaking and who is your audience. Only after that you can decide, what to say and how “, he pointed out.

Besides the banks, there are two major crowdfunding platforms in Estonia – Hooandja (like a local Kickstarter) and Fundwise (like a Stock Exchange for small businesses). The participants had to define which is more suitable for their company.

An angel investor, Mr Yrjö Ojasaar, gave useful tips how to get money from investors. “The team and its competencies is the most important to watch”, he stressed.

After fruitful discussions, Estonian design companies are better prepared and the global market is a little bit more open for their products.

Strategic Marketing follows a holistic approach: it is about the business as a whole and its design and development around the changing needs of your selected customers! That means, that you have to be aware of the strategic objectives and characteristics of your own sector and your own creative business idea. These objectives and characteristics influence your strategies and your operational marketing instruments, which you have to follow in order to successfully achieve your goals.

For example: if you think about the communication strategy, previously you should know who you are, what you can do and how to compare it to your environment. These dedicated considerations represent an important step – from mission to vision, to analysis. Before using external communication tools such as your website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blog, etc., a kind of internal analysis should take place.
You are mostly content-driven and to a large extend interested in taking an active part in the co-
design-process of our society. In comparison to the classical economic sectors your target systems
are slightly shifted.

Why is it important to highlight these differences? If you have clarification about your own personal goal system, it is easier to give answers to all operational marketing questions especially with an international perspective. As said before, reflect on your mission and main objectives of your creative product or services. If you know, who you are and where do you want to go go, every decision you have to take regarding your questions as communication, price, product etc. is easier to deduce.

The illustration of the whole marketing process gives you an short overview of the steps you should
have in mind. But be sure, that you have to go through this process several times, since your
environment will change!

Festival Ipercorpo, Iagostudio events and communication and Città di Ebla organize the 2nd edition of the International Masterclass “SCENA EUROPA”.

From Italy to Europe: operating in the International scene

Distribute, promote and communicate your shows in Europe, acquire new models for the creation
of networks and creative residences

FORLÌ – FRIDAY 25 TH SATURDAY 26 TH and SUNDAY 27 TH MAY 2018

Some of the most brilliant European operators provide their experiential and professional heritage for this international masterclass aimed at young artists and company managers who intend to give visibility and present their shows abroad, to become part of international networks and explore innovative ways in order to activate artistic residences.

Conceived and organized by iagostudio events and communication within the program of Ipercorpo
festival, the masterclass consists of three days of: 3 lesson modules (10 hours), 1 module of individual
advice (1 hour) and 1 module of presentations by all the international operators guests of Italian
Performance Platform (3 hours) – an international project that for years has seen the presence in Forlì of
some of the most interesting European operators to follow the Ipercorpo festival.

CONTENTS

– A look at the European scene: not-to- be-missed festivals, the well-known ones and the less known
but suitable for young companies wishing to work abroad.
– European projects, international networks and specific projects that can inspire effectiveness in
cooperation.
– Strategies and techniques for the international distribution of performing arts
– Creative management, when empathy makes the difference. How to develop an alternative
promotion.
– Management and support of an artist
– Being ready for the international market: how to present yourself, how to present your work,
mistakes to avoid.
– The system of international residences between new strategies, effective models and opportunities
for young creative people

CALENDAR

Friday 25 th May: 2.30pm – 6.30pm
MODULE 1 |2.30pm – 5.30pm
Vicens Mayans (Agente 129 – art management agency – Spagna)
Are we ready to go abroad?
What are the most interesting festivals today in Europe? How to present yourself in these contexts? How to present your show to a foreign operator? Which elements should not be overlooked if you decide to work internationally? A practical exercise is included.
INTERNATIONAL OPERATORS PRESENTATION | 5.30pm – 6.30pm

Saturday 26 th May: 10.00am -1.00pm | lunch break |2.30pm – 6.30pm
MODULE 2 | 10.00am – 1.00pm
Pia Kramer (Organisation and International relationships O Espaço do Tempo – Lisbon)
Residences and networks in Europe. Starting from the experience of O Espaço do Tempo – the Portuguese
most important and internationally one of the most reknown centre of residences – models and best
practices will be presented in relation to the system of international residences and to the forms of co-production.

MODULE 3 | 2.00pm – 6.30pm
Marta Oliveres (Ramon Llull creative department director and agency Mom & El Vivero director)
Creative management. This is the formula born in Mom & El Vivero, one of the most brilliant reality for scouting, enhancement, support and circulation of young artists in the field of live arts at an international level and Marta Oliveres will illustrate the stages of this path also through some simulations.
INTERNATIONAL OPERATORS PRESENTATION | 6.30pm – 7.00pm

Sunday 27 th May: 10.00am – 1.00pm
INTERNATIONAL OPERATORS PRESENTATION | 10.00am – 11.30am
Free counseling with the teachers of the course and/or the other guest operators 11.30am – 1.00pm

COSTS

Masterclass participation fee costs 90 euros. Registration deadline: May 20, 2018 or upon reaching the
maximum number of participants. Lessons are held in English.
Organization and tutoring: Mara Serina maraiagostudio@gmail.com – mob. 338.3246269
Promotion and organizing collaboration: Lorenzo Conti
Registration feee must be paid by bank transfer to the following bank account. Please send by e-mail
payment confirmation to: a maraiagostudio@gmail.com
Account holder: Associazione Culturale Città di Ebla
Bank: Cassa dei Risparmi di Forlì e della Romagna (CARIRO Forlì)
Forlì 47121, Piazza Aurelio Saffi, 33
IBAN: IT26B0601013222100000003625
BIC/SWIFT: IBSPIT2F
Affiliated accomodation: hotel Executive Forlì (price information upon request)

TEACHERS

Vicens Mayans
Vincens Mayans started his professional activity as a performer and actor working with Rodrigo Garcia and other international companies. He has been artistic director and choreographer of Lalupe company and since 2014 he deals with international management and distribution for the company Agente 129 of
Barcelona, for which he follows world-wide festivals and events related to the world of dance, developing an original empathic way of relationship with artists and operators.

Pia Krӓmer
Graduated in Psychology, Dance and Literature at the University of Regensburb (Germany), in 1985 Pia
Krӓmer founded Loft, a dance space where to teach choreography also through international workshops.
In 1995 she completed a course of studies in Dance Therapy and worked for 4 years as a dance therapist
with patients suffering of mental disorders. In 2000 she moved with her family to Portugal and joined
university teaching with training. Since 2003 she has been working at O ​​Espaço do Tempo, a
multidisciplinary reality based in Montemor-o- Novo, where she curated projects with local community
through methods of Creative Learning. Currently she deals with the artistic planning and management of
international projects.

Marta Oliveres
In 1991 she founded a historical reality for the promotion and presentation of artists internationally: MOM / Elvivero, an ethical brand that develops creative, original and high-empathy techniques of promotion, summarized in the Creative Management formula that immediately sees a vibrant training activity with courses, masters and festivals. Marta Oliveres complements the distribution activity with the publishing one, publishing for a long time the magazine Artributøs, a precious media to explore new artistic trends.
She is currently director of the creative department of Ramon Llull Institute, specialized in supporting Catalan artists.

OTHER INFORMATIONS</2>
After Masterclass: Ipercorpo Festival
Ipercorpo festival is the general contest that hosts the Masterclass. It will be held in Forlì from 24 th till 27 th of May 2018. Subscribers to the Masterclass that are interest in it have the possibility to see the shows and to take part to its international atmosphere, following also music and art appointments in program.
Subscription card is included in the Masterclass cost.
Shows program
Friday 25 th May:
Luna Cenere “Kokoro”
gruppo nanou “Color becomes space. Alphabet”
1-minute Dance

Saturday 26 th May:
Ofir Yudilevich “Gravitas”
Andrea Costanzo Martini “TROP”
Muna Mussie “Oasis”
1-minute Dance

Sunday 27 th May:
Teatro persona “Macbettu”
1-minute dance contest presentation
video installation Family Affair presentation with authors ZimmerFrei
book presentation &quot;La danza 2.0&quot; by Alessandro Pontremoli

CONTACTS

Mara Serina – e-mail: maraiagostudio@gmail.com mob. +39 338 3246269

Even though exporting is the lowest possible commitment to internationalization, it still
comes a long with a lot of risks. Each company that wishes to go abroad and decides to
either directly or indirectly export their products to another country, needs to analyze all the
things that could possibly go wrong beforehand.
In the following, you will find the most common and biggest risks that could appear when
exporting goods:
One of the most unpredictable risks are the political ones. Political risks are considered to be
any extraordinary state measures or political events abroad, such as wars, revolutions, civil
unrest, nationalization, etc. Such situations may in particular result in the customer being
unable to pay or the products being confiscated or damaged.
Another risk, the commercial risk, refers to the customer’s insolvency or unwillingness to
pay. For the exporting company, this can lead to a liquidity problem, as a result of which it
cannot accept new orders because it lacks the necessary means of production.
Furthermore, there is also the foreign exchange risk. This refers to the price fluctuations of
the own currency in relation to the foreign currency in which the exports are invoiced. The
worse the exchange rate, the smaller the margins for exports in foreign currencies.

One of the risks that one can least anticipate is that of force majeure. Force majeure means
unforeseeable events (natural disasters etc.) which make the shipment of the goods
impossible or unreasonable.

There are many other risks that can occur in the course of an export, such as problems with
the transport, etc. In the end, you have to know what kind of risks exist, which ones could
possibly affect your business and how you can prevent them from having any negative
effects on your internationalization.

The Ultimate Cookbook for Cultural Managers – Visas for Third Country National Artists Traveling to the Schengen Area is the fifth publication of the RISE project. The European Festivals Association (EFA)  and  Pearle * – Live Performance Europe  have teamed up to improve cross-border cooperation within the EFA RISE project, funded by the Creative Europe Program from the European Union from 2014 until 2017 , and renewed until 2021 as  EFA RISE 2 .

In this hands-on guide, you will find everything you need to know about traveling in the Schengen area from a third country, and you will be able to navigate the complexity of these regulations.

The Ultimate CookBook

1 file(s) 3.79 MB

Download