International Seminar organized the City of Kosice, European Capital of Culture 2013

1. INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR
„CREATIVE INCUBATORS: POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES“
15TH OF APRIL 2010, KASÁRNE/KULTURPARK, KOŠICE
13:30 - 16:30

2. Introduction
The stimulation of creative industries is one of the main pillars of the project Kosice INTERFACE
2013. For the successful implementation of the project it is crucial that the widest possible range of
experts and partners in the city and the region become familiar with the topic of creative industries.
Their involvement in the process will help create conditions for the functioning of the so-called
creative economy and creative industries as a potential source of economic growth.
The non-profit organisation Kosice 2013, responsible for the implementation of the European Capital
of Culture project, is preparing a series of events to highlight the examples of European cities which
used culture and creativity as a basis for their development. It will also create a space for discussion
and cooperation among the participating partners to serve as a basis for the development of new
projects.
The key aims of Kosice 2013 organisation in the field of creative industries are:
- the mapping of the environment and the linking of local players in the areas of creativity and
innovations, the linking of universities, the big players (like T-systems, Ness, AT&T, ...) and
small and medium enterprises
- the coordination of the processes to create suitable conditions for their establishment in the
market, the creation of a shared platform, the organisation of information and education
events in the relevant fields
- the creation of a joint strategy for the city and the region for the further development, and
the interlinking with related areas such as tourism, services...
- the support for international cooperation and experience exchange
- the support of SMEs (the establishment of an incubator)
The seminar:
One of the basic strategies for the creation of suitable conditions for creative economy is the
establishment of incubators and creative quarters and their linking in with the existing structures,
academia, and local and international partners.
The first seminar of the series is thus dedicated to the topic of incubators.
Aim:
To introduce examples of functioning incubators from throughout Europe, their models and impacts
on cities; to gain an understanding of the process of setting up of an incubator and the support of
SMEs as a basic strategy in the development of creative industries; to bring together local partners in
a joint seminar to introduce to them the experiences of others cities and the vision of the project
INTERFACE 2013 in the field of creative economy.

3. Event type: A half-day seminar composed of a series of lectures, panel discussions and an open
discussion with refreshments
Confirmed speakers:
- Bernd Fesel /RUHR 2010/ (Germany)
- Georg Flachbart /mind(21)factory/ (Germany/Slovakia)
- Johanna Skantze /Generator Swedish Creative Industries/ (Sweden),
- Leo van Loon /Creative factory Rotterdam/ (Netherlands)
- Zora Jaurová /Košice 2013, n. o./ (Slovakia)
Potential partners: the Creative Industries Forum, European Capital of Culture – RUHR.2010.
Target audience:
- Representatives of the key players (VSE - RWE, T – systems Slovakia, AT&T, NESS, ...)
- Public sector: The city of Košice and Košice self-governing region
- Universities: Technical University of Košice, Pavol Jozef Safarik University Kosice, Presov
University,
- specialists in the area, representatives of SMEs (software, design, architecture, marketing...)

4. European Capital of Culture (ECOC)
The European Capital of Culture event is arguably one of the most successful EU cultural
programmes, attracting increasing interest from policy makers, academics and the media every year.
The EU is giving the ECoC significant attention. The ECoC programme has also changed radically in
terms of its aims, scope and scale in recent years. The expansion of the programme to NEW MEMBER
states in particular has brought a whole new raft of countries into the ECoC and with it new visions
and challenges.
The continuing expansion of the ECoC idea and its popularity with cities is because it can embrace a
whole raft of policy aims, from cultural development, tourism development to urban regeneration,
social cohesion and image change.
Nevertheless, the ECoC has been seen as a major opportunity to change the image of cities, or create
a new one, and/or put them on the European map. Successful ECoC will tend to be those who can
use the ECoC to develop the identity of the city and increase its meaning for the citizens while at the
same time projecting an external image which is compatible with, and which enhances its internal
cultural identity.
Košice - European Capital of Culture 2013
Košice INTERFACE 2013
Kosice the second largest city after the capital Bratislava will become European Capital of Culture in
2013. Kosice is regional administrative centre and Eastern Slovakia’s hub of industry, commerce,
science and culture. The population of the city is 250 000 but it serves a regional population over 766
000 people. The Kosice project has been based on the idea of INTERFACE – point of connection. This
is intended to refer to the inward communication of the city with its residents, as well as
communication aimed outwards, at the visitors to the city and the entire European Union.
It is expected that the investments connected with the project will allow Kosice to build the cultural
infrastructure that’s missing but is completely common in developed Western metropolises. It is also
expected that Košice will now attract many more visitors, as well as investors and developers. The
process is very complex and it must be effectively managed and coordinated.

5. Seminar Programme
13:30 – 13:45: František Knapík (city Major) and Norbert Schurman (VSE - RWE group): opening
speech
13:45 – 14:10: Johana Skantze: Creative industries in Sweden: strategies to support sustainable
growth“(Generator Swedish Creative Industries, SWE)
14:10 – 14:30: Bernd Fesel: Project RUHR.2010 and creative industries“(RUHR.2010, DE)
14:30 – 14:50: Zora Jaurová: „Košice 2013 – an opportunity for the development of creative
industries“(Košice 2013, n.o., SK)
14:50 – 15:00: Discussion
15:00 – 15:20: coffee break
15:20 – 15:40: Leo Van Loon: The Birth of a Creative Factory, with many sponsors and without
subsidies“(Creative factory – Rotterdam, NL)
15:40 – 16:00: Georg Flachbart: Towards Brain-Gain Cities“(mind(21)factory, DE/SK)
16:00 –16:30: Facilitated discussion and refreshment

6. Profiles of speakers
Bernd Fesel (Germany)
works as an independent cultural events organiser and cultural policy advisor in Berlin
and Brussels. He is the owner of the Gallery Fesel, founded in Düsseldorf in 1977, which
was renamed Fesel Modern Art in 2005. He studied Economics and Philosophy in
Heidelberg and Bonn from 1983 to 1990 and graduated with an economist degree.
In 1995 he became working group member within the Federal Association of German
Galleries (Bundesverband Deutscher Galerien - BVDG), from 1996 to 1997 he was board
member of the BVDG, from 1997 to 2003 Managing Director.
References - selection from 2000:
Honorary spokesperson of the German Council for the Visual Arts, board member of the German Council for
Cultural statistics, chairman of the expert committee “Taxes” in the German Arts Council. From 2005 to 2007
he is Secretary General of the Federation of European Art Gallery Associations in Brussels. Bernd Fesel
supervises the seminar serials “Strategies in the arts market” and occupies teaching positions at the Distance
University in Hagen (since 2004), the Bonn University (2006) and the University of the Arts in Berlin (2007).
In 2003 Bernd Fesel initiated the national conference on cultural industries in Berlin, which is organised every
year.
References – selection from 2007
Creative Industries Advisor for the European Capital of Culture Ruhr 2010
Deputy Director ECCE – European centre for creative economy
Advisor of the German UNESCO Commission and the German Federal Foreign Office
Member of the advisory board of the Bundesakademie Wolfenbüttel
Georg Flachbart (Germany/Slovakia)
is action philosopher and director of mind(21)factory for Knowledge Engineering and
Knowledge Design Stuttgart, Berlin. From 1968-73, he studied philosophy, psychology
and formal logic at Charles University in Prague - PhD in 1974 - and worked later as a
scientific assistant in the Department of Philosophy of Science at the Institute of
Philosophy and Sociology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava. Since 1980,
he has been living in Germany working mainly as a writer, director and producer in
the fields of audio-visual media, theory of architecture, and the performing arts.
His work has won numerous Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards at the international media competitions in NYC,
Chicago, Hamburg. Georg's major collaborative, transdisciplinary projects are: Disappearing Architecture: From
Real to Virtual to Quantum (2004-05, with ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe), IT Works or IT Networks:
Development of Real and Virtual Space in the Age of the Global Net (2003, with Faculty of Architecture STU
Bratislava), mind(21)house (2002-03, with Faculty of Architecture STU Bratislava), mind(21)factory (2005-07,
with Institute for Housing, Faculty of Architecture TU Graz), and City Upgrade: The High-spirited Networked
City (2004-08, with Ortlos Architects and Creative Industries Styria in Graz). He currently represents the
Stuttgart Economic Development Department / Kreativwirtschaft in the ECCE Innovation Committee of Experts,
a project supported by the European Commission.

7. Johanna Skantze (Sweden)
is Director of Generator Swedish Creative Industries. She has perceived an international
career as a consultant, working with innovation, entrepreneurship and regional
development projects. Johanna has also previous experience from working in the IT
industry and is involved in a couple of start-up projects.
References:
Marketing and Aliance manager at Neptuny
Project Manager at inno Germany AG
Leo van Loon (Netherlands)
is since year 2006 director and co – owner of the Creative Factory in Rotterdam.
Creative Factory Rotterdam is a creative hub for over 60 companies and has
presentation rooms with a capacity of 1.500 people. His main focus is creating open
space, fostering cooperation and ensuring that they grow. He is also developing the
European Creative Residency Network. He was a member of Young Economic
Development Board Rotterdam
Factory inauguration was part of a project called Kansenzones (zones of possibilities) – a
programme of revitalisation of neglected parts of Rotterdam from the initiative of Dutch
politicians and local government. The main activities under the programme aim to provide a good environment
for investors.
Creative Factory is consisted of many spaces for artistic businesses – for offices, design workshops, recording
studios, which are available for new businesses and for established companies. Creative Factory is also a space
for meetings, conferences and shows.
Zora Jaurová (Slovakia)
has been working as an independent theatre dramaturge and critic since 1998, when
graduated at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Bratislava. She has also worked
extensively in international context as a CEE consultant for foreign institutions
(international film company, various international NGO’s). Since 2003 she has been
working in the Cultural Contact Point Slovakia (national agency of Culture 2000 / Culture
(2007-2013) programme), in 2005 she has become a director of the office. In 2004-2006
she was the nominated expert of Slovak Republic within the Cultural Affairs Committee
in the Council of EU.
She is active in various European cultural networks, being an executive board member and vice-president of
Culture Action Europe (former EFAH, www.cultureactioneurope.org). Recently, she has founded the Institute
for Cultural Policies - NGO platform for research, analysis and advocacy in the field of cultural policies. Since
2007 she has worked as an chief consultant for the city of Kosice in their bid for European Capital of Culture
2013. After Kosice has won the competition in 2008, she was appointed the Artistic Director of the project
Kosice – Interface 2013. (www.kosice2013.sk)
She was also a member of the artistic board of International Theatre Festival Divadelna Nitra and a jury
member of several national art competitions. Couple of her translations of British and American theatre plays
were published and staged in Slovak and theatres.