We are pleased to announce the 3-day workshop “Arts, CSR and Entrepreneurship: Focus on Clay & Pottery” in the framework of the innovative project “EMPACT – Empathy and Sustainability: The Art of Thinking like a Mountain”, co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme (Grant Agreement No: 101055903 – EMPACT – CREA-CULT-2021-COOP-2). The project is coordinated by the Department of Fine Arts in Cyprus University of Technology and the assistant professors Efi Kyprianidou and Yiannis Christidis. 

The Arts, CSR and Entrepreneurship: Focus on Clay & Pottery seminar will include one online session (17/11), one city session (CUTing Edge, 17/11) and one rural session (Vouni village 1&2/12), as well as artistic workshops and a gallery walk in Limassol. Particularly, the ceramics and pottery workshop will take place in Vouni village, in collaboration with REVITA project. During the workshop, the participants will learn different techniques on how to turn clay into artistic, useable or decorative objects. You can find the detailed schedule of the seminars/workshops Programme

The seminar aims to explore the theoretical discourses and the sustainable practices in the framework of Art and Corporate Social Responsibility. Particularly, the artists and the cultural professionals will be provided with the necessary tools, in order to connect effectively their work to corporate initiatives. The workshop addresses the necessity for artists and cultural workers to become themselves empathic and resilient individuals in order to deal with the post-pandemic social and economic crisis. It focuses on the training of artists/cultural professionals in initiating sustainability-oriented creative proposals addressed to companies’ CSR activities. It moreover aims to open a window for connecting artists with arts market, by focusing on pottery as an art exemplifying the intersection of arts and entrepreneurship. It focuses on training artists / cultural professionals in the implementation of creative sustainability-oriented proposals addressed to companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility activities. In addition, it aims to open a window to connect artists with the arts market, focusing on ceramics as an art that exemplifies the intersection of arts and crafts. The combination of artistic expression and entrepreneurship shows how the world of arts can serve as a platform for entrepreneurial endeavors, where innovation and passion lead to both artistic projects and thriving micro-enterprises. Through this connection, artists strengthen their resilience as they navigate market challenges, adapt to changing trends, and continue to create.

Key issues of the seminar are the coaching of artists’ professional management in terms of branding and funding, the connection of art practices with corporate initiatives and the application of Sustainability in this context. The workshops are going to initiate a dialogue about:

• What is CSR? 
• How is CSR relevant to the arts and culture sector?
•  Why companies should invest in society? Why culture is so important in it?
• In which ways artists and companies can collaborate and contribute to a sustainable future?

The workshop is open to everyone. It is addressed to those who are interested in improving their skills and knowledge on crafting as well as to beginners that are willing to learn more about clay and pottery. 

Speakers/Artists 

Lidia Varbanova (Professor and Program Director, MA in Management of Performing Arts and Industry, NATFA), Popi Psaliou & George Savva (CSR Cyprus), Celia Hadjichristodoulou (GrandXpert Consulting Ltd.), Ioanna Hadjipanigiri (artist), Eirini Zinonos (artist), Michaella Karagiorgi (ceramist), Ioannis Nestoros (ceramist). 

If you are an artist, arts manager, cultural professional, researcher, educator, student, or representative of a business company interested in cultural development, join us! The workshop has a limited number of participants: to reserve your place, please fill in the short registration form here.

The seminar/ workshop is free of charge.

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Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.