NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CREATIVE AND CULTURAL INDUSTRIES AT THE ECONOMIC FORUM “WELCONOMY”
On 30 and 31 of June, 2022 members of National Association of Creative and Cultural Industries (the Association) participated in the “Welconomy” forum. This is the 29th Economic Forum in Toruń, Poland, to which the Association was invited by the Lithuanian Embassy in Poland. The delegation of Lithuanian cultural and creative industries (CCI) consisted of the Association members – Chair of the Board Živilė Diavara, Director Edita Sabalionytė, Board Member, Chairman of the Lithuanian Game Developers Association Gediminas Tarasevičius, Founder of “March Design Studio” Eglė Trimonė, founder of “Artbox production house” Kęstutis Drazdauskas, co-founder of “Arlekinas” cinema, director of the Future Society Institute dr. Erika Godlevska, director of the Vilnius City Dance Theater “Low air” Laurynas Žakevičius. The Lithuanian CCI representatives went to the Forum with the aim of reflecting with their Polish counterparts on the situation: where we are now and where we are heading. Creativity and its role in the planning, decision-making and implementation of future strategies has recently received a lot of attention from the scientific community and political decision-makers. Lithuania is an excellent example of using creativity as an element of growth, innovation and competitiveness. Association’s Board Chair Živilė Diavara and Board Member Gediminas Tarasevičius shared their experience and best practices in the “Welconomy” Forum panel discussion on the Lithuanian CCI case. Lithuanian Minister of Culture Simonas Kairys gave on-line presentation. In the special Lithuanian panel discussion, the representatives of the Association highlighted the following objectives:
Culture is a driving force behind the development of the creative sector and a direct influence on the economy;
The interaction between cultural and economic activities and the challenges in a changing society;
Digital and virtual reality challenges;
Appropriateness of state interventions in the field of CCIs;
The importance of the creative sector for the country’s economy and social development.
The Association’s delegation took part in the “Welconomy” B2B meeting, shared experiences of ongoing projects and presented opportunities for joint initiatives. Representatives of the Association and other participants from Lithuania, together with the Lithuanian Ambassador to Poland Mr. Eduard Borisov, the Lithuanian Cultural Attaché in Poland Ms. Rasa Rimickaitė, the representative of the Embassy of Lithuania Ms. Liliana Jaroslavska, visited the Consulate of Lithuania in Toruń, discussed the close co-operation between Lithuania and Poland, met with the Mayor of the City of Toruń, Mr. Michał Zaleski and the future Honorary Consul of Lithuania, Mr. Przemyslaw Bankovski.
Activities of National Association of Creative and Cultural Industries are funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.