The event took place within specific time constraints which only allowed partial tackling of the existing issues. However, further consultations and discussions have led to the identification of many other less obvious aspects, that constitute significant added value for formulating recommendations and for decision making.

Some of the moderators invoked a general passivity of the public, most likely arising from the low interest of cultural actors to the related policies, which suggests deeper issues, such as an obvious disconnection between cultural actors and policy-makers.

In this context, animating the debate was one of the main challenges of the exercise.

Regardless of the subject of the three parallel sessions, the following subjects of concern were addressed:

• The relationship between cultural actors and cultural consumers: which are the main limitations of cultural manifestations and how can the general public be stimulated to consume more culture?

• The relationship between cultural actors and policy-makers: to what extent the needs of the creative sectors are met and which are the possible ways of improvement?

• Education in culture and in related areas: does it correspond to the current needs of the market economy?

While the above-listed categories can be extremely extensive, concrete examples and situations from everyday life perfectly illustrate weaknesses and limitations met by the local creative sector and possible measures of improvement.

The Republic of Moldova does not have an actual Strategy for development of the creative sectors, which would define directions of development and support mechanisms by the state. At the same time, the voices of cultural actors and of professionals are not always heard, not necessarily because of the indifference of the authorities, but especially in the absence of a functional communication mechanism. An important step in this regard would be to create communication and collaboration platforms which would mediate dialogue between different stakeholders.

The direct involvement and participation of the civil society is an important aspect, shaping the evolution of the creative sector. Whether they are participants in the process or simple consumers, the civil sector is the main target group for whom the cultural product is developed. In this context, the offer should be considered and adapted to the distinctive features of the communities: for whom do we decorate / build / organize events / publish, etc.?

Moldova has a rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage, representing a solid basis for further development. Nevertheless, various voices refer to its limited possibilities of use, especially in relation to the needs of a modern society. From the perspective of an adaptive reuse of existing resources, especially in the case of the built assets, the access to heritage is rather limited. Various reasons can be mentioned, starting from a deficient legal and administrative system which does not allow the use of the state-owned property by the civil sector, and ending with lack of experience and vision from the cultural actors. In this sense, the experience of policy-making and practices in the field of cultural heritage in other countries of the Eastern Partnership can be extremely useful.

Among the most frequently mentioned issues met by the creative sector are:

In the field of creative industries:

• Poor availability of properly equipped spaces, including open spaces, for elaboration and exposure of the cultural product

• The gap between supply and demand, low consumption of the cultural product

• The problem of artistic education, which in most cases is outdated and no longer meets the requirements of the market economy. This generates a number of additional problems, such as poor quality of the cultural product, low interest of the society for cultural events, visual pollution in the public space, etc.

• Financial support from the state: currently there is no co-financing or facility policy for creative start-ups. In the case of grants offered by international funding bodies, the majority of applicants are not eligible as they do not meet the rigid requirements of the donors

• Deficient inter-sectorial communication and high level of bureaucracy, which significantly limits the possibilities of expression of small or individual initiatives and lead to monopolization by big companies

• Deficient communication between cultural actors, policy-makers and the public, leading to various related problems such as coordination of the cultural agenda, poor coverage and visibility of events, low collaboration within the creative community.

In the field of creative spaces and hubs:

• Limited access of the state-owned spaces for creative hubs

• Lack of inventory of the empty spaces which could be used for various creative initiatives; access to information about existing empty spaces

• Lack of material and non-material support for individuals or organizations (including trainings and exchange of experience)

In the field of cultural heritage:

• Limited access (again) of the creative sector to the available built heritage

• Bureaucratic and legal impediments limiting the adaptation of available spaces to modern functions, reluctance of the public authorities

• The cultural heritage (built, but not only) is not considered as a factor of local economic development

• The outdated legal system and discrepancies between different legal acts. Lack of institutional and legislative continuity

• Poor communication between different levels of authorities (local and national)

• Uncertain management and ownership

At large extent, all three categories meet the same challenges, resulting from administrative impediments, but also from lack of functional mechanisms of mobilization and involvement of different cultural actors, including the target-groups. In these conditions, several solutions (top-down and bottom-up) can be recommended to address challenges met today by the creative sector, but also considering its future needs.

Creation of a communication platform between policy-makers, cultural actors and target-groups, responsible for facilitation of the dialogue among stakeholders

• Enhancement of supporting financial mechanisms for NGOs and artists (revision of the eligibility criteria for grants for cultural projects), adjustment of the current funding system in order to increase efficiency and sustainability

• Elaboration of supporting policies (financial, capacity building, offering of available spaces) for creative sectors and for stimulating cooperation between artists

• Enhancement of the inter-institutional cooperation, including between central and local authorities, for reducing bureaucracy and for accelerating the implementation of civic creative initiatives.

• Modernization of the artistic education system according international trends and practices. Increasing collaboration and exchange of international experience in educational institutions

• Encouraging and increasing collaboration between authorities and the creative sector for improving the public space and the quality of urban life, support of artistic initiatives in the public space

• Enhancement of the existing urban infrastructure for stimulating open-air cultural events and for night life animation (associated with complementary measures such as enhancement of public spaces and mobility policies)

• Measures of control over the process of distribution of the cultural product, in order to ensure copyright protection, fiscal evidence and reduce piracy

• Increase of international cooperation between representatives of the creative sector for exchange of experience and elaboration of joint projects.

Creating a Creative Council to take over the role of facilitator between various stakeholders is a relatively new concept in the Moldovan cultural public space, supported by most of the local cultural leaders. This could represent a first step in improving the problems faced by the creative sectors and an effective method to popularize alternative cultural initiatives. 

Cesis is an old Latvian town. What is special about Cesis? It impresses by the way it combines modern culture and history, through creative industries, cultural infrastructure, but also through new methods of harnessing the historic heritage. From the perspective of this approach, Cesis is regarded as a creative town, but this did not happen over night, but thanks to a well-thought strategy, implemented for a number of years. Is Chisinau similar to Cesis? And if not, what should we do to make it one?

Design as urban innovation or how art moves into the street

“A beautiful town is not the one where everyone builds whatever they want in front of their apartment building, but where everything is created with the help of specialized institutions, which have proper training and aesthetic taste”

Mihai Stamati is a young Moldovan designer. Believing that design is a key element for urban development, he implemented several projects in Chisinau for this purpose, which represented the outcome of joint efforts of a number of people. We refer to the benches from the park of the Technical University from Moldova, the benches from the Petru Rares square or the installation “the head-in-the-clouds Christmas tree” which hanged a while in front of the National Museum of Art. Implementing these initiatives, Mihai realized that design meant a family working together. “This is not the work of a single person, but the outcome of more enthusiastic people, who want to make something for the benefit of the community”, he stated.

Mihai suggested several ideas how design can contribute to urban innovation:

# Public space works. “I have always believed that art has to move into the street, to be useful and a visible point of reference for everyone;

# Objects that create relations. “An item of design should not be only functional, it has to also create relations and generate emotions, to make people want it and keep it. For example, the Petru Rares square brings together mothers with children who prefer coming here for a stroll”. The young man also spoke about a future project in the Mihai Eminescu Park, which is known to us as a small paintings market. The project would include several benches in the shape of a ripped page, on which a poem was written. These can be called installations that will also serve as a chair, spread around chaotically, explained the designer.

Simple solutions used in the cities of the world:

# the design is a priority of the Government, a state policy, expressed through hubs, private schools, places where people can gather and create together. This unites forces and generates debates, where implementable ideas are born;

# private investments in design;

# appreciation of innovation and out-of-box design, which creates emotions;

Monica Babuc, Minister of Culture: “We have a beautiful town, both the citizens and the authorities want to have here not only a decent life, including comfort and convenience, but we also want to be proud of our historical and cultural artifacts. The civil society of Moldova should have a say here, as well. We have overcome the situation when we put the blame on someone. We talk here about a general national cohesion in the sustainable urban development we want to achieve. I like very much the term of creative towns, because if we apply it to any human activity, we will have wonderful outcomes”.

Why should a creative city invest in culture. Recommendations from Clémentine Daubeuf, consultant and researcher at KEA European Affairs

Investments in culture will be always seen as controversial, for different reasons:

# it is the field that has been always in need of subsidies;

# it needs a long-term political commitment;

# profit is hard to measure: trust, amenity, image, quality of life.

“It is wonderful to have art, but not to take it too seriously”, says Clementine about authorities’ reaction when it comes to support cultural initiatives. Nonetheless, the expert said that this industry had a great potential, and that culture impacted many fields. Cultural investments lead to:

# urban development policies;

# social and economic innovations;

# economic benefits for local production systems;

# a new incentive for economic activities;

# job creation;

# authentic and “living” towns.

“In towns we have to create an atmosphere that could inspire people to tolerance and freedom, warm services and good working conditions”, thinks the young woman.

Marco Gemmer, representative of the EU Delegation to Moldova: “People, especially the youth, need to be involved in this process, because we need the local reality. How can we speak of the future without their involvement? In order to have creative cities, we have to have creative minds and innovations. In order to launch a creative industry you have to have people that believe in you. You will fail, this is normal — though failure is unacceptable in other fields, here you can try out things. We can never know if our ideas will work out or not. If we had the answers, there would be no innovation. It is hard, but this is not a sufficient reason not to do it. We do it because it is hard and different.”

How can you launch a business in the cultural field? 

Eight pieces of advice from Luka Piskoric, the founder of the Polygon Creative Center, Slovenia, on the organization of crowdfunding campaigns:

Crowdfunding campaigns represent efficient solutions for many situations, when we need financial support. When launching a business based on donations, certain features should be taken into account:

# If we talk about products, it is important for them to be innovative and have a very good design;

# You have to have a pool of followers, who are awaiting for this product to be launched;

# Moldova has a small market, and this is why it is better to launch it on a global platform to have followers from all around the world;

# It takes two to three months to make a successful campaign;

# You need a business plan, a prototype, a team, marketing skills;

# Once you get the money, it is important to deliver what you promised;

# You can have a second campaign, as long as you have fulfilled the promises of the first one;

# Crowdfunding requires a lot of effort. You have to be convinced of your success if you start it.

A creative town has creative working spaces. “A hub doesn’t represent only a space”

Coworking spaces are new ways of cooperation and work, which include sharing of space by a community of independent professionals. They are becoming very popular in Chisinau too. What does this have to do with culture? In these spaces new creative business ideas are born, which are developed and gain momentum in these spaces too, and going back to the example of the Cesis town, hubs can be developed in old, abandoned buildings, thus contributing to the reorganization of the urban space.

A few recommendations from Traian Chivriga, founder of iHUB from Chisinau, about how the number of hubs from Moldova could be extended:

# We find places, then find out who owns them and decide what we want to create.

#  A hub doesn’t represent only a space, but it is based on: content (active people), space (provided by the State) and money (provided by donors). All has to work in unison.

# The State should provide free public spaces to non-profit projects, based on tenders.

# These hubs shouldn’t pay taxes during the first years, but to be taxed as they grow.

Potential spaces, which can become hubs (recommendations from active young people from Chisinau):

Printing House No 5, former wax figures museum, red mill, astronomic observatory, culture houses, schools, abandoned churches, Zemstvo Museum. Advice: the bureaucratic barriers that hinder access to these places can be surmounted through intensive advocacy.

Ragnar Siil, expert in the EU - Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Program. “We have to rethink how we talk about creative industries and ask ourselves what ecosystem needs to be built. In other countries, creative industries are concentrated in capitalist cities. The question is if Moldova can become an example that can demonstrate that these creative industries can be found in other places, in the regions. We want to see how a city like Chisinau can become a regional hub and then how smaller regions can adapt to this idea.”

The most acute cultural and creative problems encountered by Moldova. Solutions recommended by the young people from Chisinau

At the launching event of the National Cultural Forum in Chisinau the active young people from Moldova discussed the cultural and creative problems encountered by Moldova:

# the lack of communication between central authorities and initiators from the cultural field;

# the need to organize public debates to involve the broader community in culture initiatives;

# the need to create a platform that could bring together more civil society stakeholders;

# the problem of the cultural exhibition spaces: the quality of sound in concert halls, the quality of video projections in cinema halls;

# to educate the public, the culture consumption, a problem generated by the rigidity of the education systems, which does not strengthen the interest of young people in cultural events. On the other hand, it is the issue of artistic education, where students don’t learn from practice, as it should be;

# artists and the Ministry of Culture exist in parallel worlds. There should be more often meetings and discussions within an artistic council under the Ministry.

# weak advertising that is still based on visual spam.

The stated elements represent only a few of the key points that could contribute to conversion Chisinau into a creative city. The conclusions and opinions were shared during the launching event of the National Cultural Forum.

***

The article was drawn up in cooperation with the EU-Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Programme 2015-2018 – culturepartnership.eu

http://diez.md/2016/11/22/foto-recomandari-sfaturi-si-practici-internationale-cum-transformam-chisinaul-intr-un-oras-creativ/