Selection meeting Marta Smolíková CZ local expert Prague 16th – 18th, January 2012 National Technical Library Future City Jobs

1. Recap on How the Local Workshop (FCG) went Where FCG went on? Communication Space Školská 28 How many participants? 14 (date before xmas = trouble) Theme: how to develop young people’s potential in the area of cultural and creative industries in Prague? The main focus was on creating better conditions for employment of young creative people rather than solving unemployment issues in general.

Reflections of participants „Thank you for the workshop it has been highly motivating meeting full of inspiration!!!“ (free lance design festival manager) „I had found myself in a trully good company during Future City Game, I also came to the point it was not easy to go through the whole process. Many times I had to find quite a lot of tolerance in myself and it was very important for me. „ (free lance arts manager and former officer at the town council)

Media Czech Radio in the program called „Is the capital able to use the creative potential to suceed in future?“ kreativni-projekt-vyuziti-tvurcich-profesi-pro-budoucnost- mest kreativni-projekt-vyuziti-tvurcich-profesi-pro-budoucnost- mest Public Service Magazine (Veřejná správa) 2000 copies of the magazine with the reflection of FCG in Prague will be published in February together with the city regeneration topics. The magazine is distributed to the all city councils in the Czech Republic aspx aspx

Conclusion Most ideas build on improving communication between local authorities, cultural organisations and individuals. All participants see the main problem in growing bureaucracy, corruption and general unwillingness to change anything. Changes can be achieved through inter-sector cooperation and expertise sharing. Local authorities (city) can play the role of a mediator in this process. Local authorities are expected to offer grants, vacant premises; they should guarantee transparency of public tenders, support further education, etc.

2.The ideas from each team that were produced Green team Winning Idea Creative Public Procurement Martin Stára, David Toušek, Lucie Vopálenská, Veronika Souhradová, Ivana Jungová Main Idea Effective use of public money for financing creative and cultural industries. Linking creative entrepreneurs and artists with each other and with needs of local communities/cities.

Outcomes of the project 1. Municipalities will produce lists of creative and cultural industries – voluntary register for everybody interested in information about public tenders. 2. Online access to information about public tenders, electronic auctions and market demand listed according to business area/profession. 3. Existing agencies and NGOs will be engaged to provide consultancy services and support.

Benefits Municipalities will gain information about local companies and their occupation More money will be spent locally, local entrepreneurs and companies will be able to access information about business opportunities more easily Better choice for investors Better choice of suppliers (according to price vs. quality) Higher transparency of spending public money Gaining a contract is key to company development and employment strategy

Benefits Support of city representatives, i.e. more than just cultural department Willingness to publicize tenders for contracts cheaper than stated by law Willingness of entrepreneurs to register their business and take part in tenders Trust in the system

Benefits Political support, understanding that creative and cultural industries have great economic potential and that it pays off of to use public money to develop the sector to strengthen its position in the labour market Support of city representation and interest from contractors People: coordinator (manager), IT specialist, server, administrator, We are considering an option of founding a new institution or engage an existing NGO).

Benefits Economic development of the sector through companies and entrepreneurs that will be able to employ new people. Increased level of information about public tenders – what are the current plans and needs of the city more competitive environment Companies or NGOs need motivation to use successful local companies that focus on consultancy or auditing services.

Approach Higher quality for lower price Entrepreneurs will have better access to public money If this system will work for public sector it may be taken over/adopted by commercial sector Political advantage: cities will save money, local business will profit Successful day: at least one update (i.e. offer) per day Persuade officials to introduce and use the system

Approach Invite respective parties to get registered Create a website listing all tenders, offers, and auctions (listing will be done by profession/ company focus) Ask all municipal organizations to take part in the initiative and provide information for the web site Promote cultural and creative industries in municipal and other press materials Ask companies and entrepreneurs to make their contracts and offers public Appoint a consultancy agency or specialized NGO that would provide assistance to newcomers or companies disqualified from tenders; this would improve professionalism

Red team Name: Creative incubator –Neighbourhood Hub Definition: To create opportunities, a low rent work space and creative environment for young creative people (unemployed or starting up) Starting point: City is looking for solutions of employment of young people City owns unused properties HUB – shared working space, combination of professional, office and creative incubator Beneficial activities for local community

Process city will advertise availability of space for rent  selection process for tender  submission of applications, best one wins (according to criteria specified in advance) administrator (city appointed) – supervision of terms of use, advertising the space Sole trader introduces own plans and gains city approval

Rules Age restriction (18-35 years) User (graduate) Length of lease Business area Public presentation

Users Group A – ‘kitchen table’ entrepreneurs  those who have their own business set-up and running  looking for cheap premises and creative space outside their home Group B - unemployed creative people, graduates, infiltrated into group A to gain experience

Cooperation City Municipal organisations Schools Employment office Public service Community service

Advantages Business expansion in local area Place for sharing experience, contacts Generation of ideas beneficial for the local community (consultancy services, exchange, communal activities)  mapping of active entrepreneurs  mapping of their needs cooperation with local authorities

Orange team Name of idea: We won´t play without you (project supporting voluntary work in cultural organisations) In cooperation with HESTIA organisation that helps cultural organisations create opportunities for young volunteers. goal: to get praxes, contacts, working experience one paid specialist position to work with volunteers. This person would help to introduce voluntary work scheme in 30 cultural organisations within one year (based on ‘A Year with Difference’ project).

Aim Create a web portal for advertising free positions for volunteers Encourage organisations to create new positions for volunteers (this will provide volunteer workers with new expertise and improve their future employability in the creative industries sector)

Current situation More information to be found in the publication ‘Volunteers for culture’; volunteer organisations websites – at the moment, volunteers are used mainly as social workers, they are not used much in the area - of arts lack of praxes/rules the main problems are: lack of information, problems with financing, low numbers of employees in these organisations, scepticism

Approach Information campaign aimed at selected institutions (about 30 cultural institutions – libraries, galleries, theatres) + project promotion + training for volunteers / May 2012 Situation mapping in a selected organisation, choosing the right model for volunteer work (creation of one position for a volunteer) – June- August 2012 Supervising organizations and helping them solve their volunteer issues / September – February 2012/2013

Approach Conference organised at the end of the project – presentation of good practice, web portal advertising vacancies for volunteers + programmes for schools / March-April 2013 Conditions Money to pay the specialist, interest of cultural institutions to take part in the project.

3. After FCG actions Actions that have taken place since the workshop (ie have any of the group continued to meet/work together to take forward their ideas, have there been any other developments etc) Meeting the City Council Representative, chairman of the cultural and introducing him the 3 ideas of the team – he found that fit

Other reflections 4.Other reflections on FCJ – how it’s going, how they feel about it etc The city government fail down before the FCJ, new coalition, same Mayor New representative for the Culture in the City Hall Department of the Business saw the project as more social or cultural, not as a part of business agenda (needs to be done work there)