Over the last decade, Creative Hubs have come to be recognised as drivers of growth for the creative industries and catalysts for cross-sectorial innovation whose impact resonates far beyond any narrow sectorial confines or physical boundaries of space. They are uniquely placed to spark discussion, foster collaboration and generate distinctive practices, offering much needed exhibition, performance and work spaces and contributing significantly to agendas in regeneration, tourism, education, inward investment and endogeneous socio-economic growth. 

The European Creative Hubs Network (ECHN) is a two-year project co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe programme, to help Creative Hubs connect and collaborate across Europe. Launched in February 2016, ECHN is building a community network of Creative Hubs by hosting a series of people-to-people encounters incorporating trainings, debates, best practice sharing and other topical and sometimes difficult discussions.

One of the ECHN project deliverables is to conduct policy analyses towards producing a recommendations’ framework that will help champion the sector and ensure Creative Hubs are supported by policy and continue to thrive in the decades to come.

The format of the analyses and recommendations will be that of policy papers developed with a clear objective of taking forward policy dialogue in the sector. The papers shall review existing sector policies (mapping, desk analysis, bibliography, interviews, etc.), showcase best practices or innovative practices, and provide a needs analysis of the Creative Hubs sector, and issue recommendations to improve policy at local, regional and EU level, in support of the Creative Hubs.

To this end, EBN invites proposals from its members and from creative hubs in the ECHN network to participate in the development of three policy papers addressing existing and emerging challenges encountered by Creative Hubs. To consult the full text of the call for proposals please visit the ECHN website at: http://creativehubs.eu/call-for-policy-proposals.

 For any questions please contact Margaret Mulligan.