The Off of the Festival d’Avignon that finished on July, 26th with an unprecedented record of entry sales (1 300 000) and Pass OFF (55 000, +10% above 2014) is now heralded as not only the biggest theater in the world, but also the largest pot of artist-entrepreneurs who test on ground their creativity not only on scene but in their economic model, in the search for their audience, in their communication, the mounting of their budget, etc.
‘As long as I am painting, I am an artist, when finished I am an entrepreneur.’ Expressed Lawrence Alma-Tadema at the very hear of the XIXth century. Olivier Py, the director of the Festival d’Avignon doesn’t say otherwise when he confided to
Les Echos : « The world chief executive doesn’t scare me I accept it. » The same engagement for Jake Lodwick, creater of Vimeo when he asserts « Think like an artists, act like an entrepreneur!»
« Cultural entrepreneurs are economic agents like others » reminded the Forum d’Avignon in its article ‘Reconnect culture and the economy’ for the issue 14 of the review INfluencia. Also: «A better recognition of their specificity and their role in innovation and development would favor the emergence of a nez generation of cultural entrepreneurs. After France, Europe finally mesures, the stakes and virtues of associating culture and economy for cultural diversity.» More to follow, the project STARTS launched end of June by the European Union which calls for the integration of artists inside companies to boost innovation.
“To solve problems, one must be creative when searching for solutions” confided Olivier Py inside this interview for Les Echos where he defends his role as artist-CEO, If they can neither be financial nor technical, we need to return to the [artistic solution], by metamorphosis”. And about companies he adds “they can get inspired by such forms that we found like intermittence. It’s the best example of work flexilibty.”
“Create again and always, without worrying about failure, and allow internet users to express their creativity”: voilà Jake Lodwick’s conviction, one of the founder of Vimeo, a video sharing website competing with Youtube: “I feel like an artist who likes creating companies. I can do a little part of it myself and have a vision, but to build it, I need the help of many people.”
Gompertz’s link between art and business is perhaps the most eye-catching observation. For example, he relates that “while his assistants worked all hours at his studio-cum-factory in Antwerp, the enterprising [Peter Paul] Rubens would travel to the splendid aristocratic houses and royal courts of Europe and inform their well heeled owners that if they were to keep up with their peers they would need one of his giant, fleshy, baroque paintings hanging in their Great Hall.”
The most important point to make is that for entrepreneurs to come up with ideas that keep the UK at the cutting edge of all sectors, we need to keep interest in the arts high. Encouraging students only to understand sectors that look lucrative on the surface is short-slighted and counterproductive. Creativity is at the heart of successful financial, tech and manufacturing entrepreneurship.
Together with Alice Loy (currently Director of Programs) GCCE – the global center for cultural entrepreneur - was established in 2008 under the belief that : "Creative and cultural entrepreneurs drive global change, create economic value and promote cultural preservation and innovation. They enrich their communities and the world. They generate self-determination and self-reliance. In addition to teaching core entrepreneurship concepts, Creative-Startups increases your leadership skills, helps you develop your interpersonal communication "toolbox", and connects you with a supportive network and resource set through mentoring and alumni engagement."
Instantaneity, hyper-choice, innovation.
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Update of the first report published in 2010.
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The imperative of moving towards business-model hybridisation
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Cultural behavior and personal data
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How does sharing data contribute to improving the way we experience our day-to-day lives in the city?
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