Capacity-building for Cultural Enterprises
OUTLINE FORMAT FOR PRESENTATION OF PROPOSALS
Aid 2, July 2004
I.
Context and project justification
This project builds on the results of the Norwegian Government funded “Artists in
Development Creativity Workshops Programme” (AiD) and explores new, more focussed
and effective ways to enhance the creative potential of artists, artisans and designers in
selected African, Asian and Latin America countries.
Institutional/cultural enterprise capacity building is the new approach proposed to deliver
the Programme’s original objective of fostering creative skills that can generate income for
cultural producers. Instead of developing the programme around individual creators, we
suggest to concentrate efforts on clusters of cultural enterprises that operating regionally,
with support from an international/regional organization, can both provide technical and
professional training for artists, artisans and designers as well as help them in accessing
and creating domestic/international markets. It is expected that these cultural enterprises
and the networks supporting them will remain in operation serving creative producers, once
the Programme ends. Given the relative complexity of capacity building exercises, a
substantial amount of time and resources has been allotted to the planning process.
Projects should be presented by cultural enterprises that have been trying to get started
and could benefit from the experience of national and international bodies in overcoming to
their growth and sustainability.
Information needed on the present situation: Problems to be addressed
It has become increasingly clear, and the AiD programme has shown it, that authentic
expressions of creativity from different cultures – both traditional and innovative – need
more than nurturing talent to exist. They also need to be accessed and made known to
others. In many cases, this means that creative and artistic endeavours need to ensure
some form of commercial viability and decent living for the creative producers. External
financial support for cultural endeavours in developing countries is limited and generates
dependency.
In this regard, two key problems to be addressed were identified during the AiD
evaluation-planning meeting: First, poor access of creative producers to markets and
second, lack of intermediary institutions (cultural enterprises) capable of supporting
them in acquiring the skills to develop and market their creative products.
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The business project set out by the cultural enterprise;
The length of time that the enterprise has been running;
A description of problems that have been identified as obstacles to its growth and
sustainability.
Relevance of the project’s expected results to the project’s objectives
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Target beneficiaries
The beneficiaries of the proposed projects are cultural enterprises with potential to train
and support creators, both in developing their creative products and in putting these
products and services on the market.
The secondary beneficiaries are the creative/cultural producers (artists, designers and
artisans of developing countries who may benefit training or support to access to markets
from these enterprises.
The third beneficiaries are the international or national bodies that will be participating in
the Progamme.
The term “cultural enterprises” covers not only private firms or business ventures, it is
understood as encompassing all forms of institutions or organisations aiming at broadening
public access to cultural goods; building and sustaining infrastructures for the production
and transmission of knowledge regarding creative products; and expanding the civic and
economic role of artistic and cultural expressions. These creative enterprises could be for
instance: university departments, music schools, museums, cultural centres and agencies,
professional associations or networks.
Project strategy and implementation arrangements
 the project should emphasise the building of a creative enterprise/pilot center paying
close attention to its institutionalization, and long term viability;
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 the cultural enterprise should propose to draw together the existing information in a
central and openly accessible centre which could in turn coordinate research that
serves the needs of educators / trainers, project leaders / producers and retailers/
buyers.
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in regions where most of the direct creative support for local artists and artisans comes
from NGOs, create links between these and museums to share resources and develop
long term training collaborations.
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the creative enterprise/pilot center should project to provide capacity building services
targeting the specific needs of the creators they are serving including techniques and
methodology in the production, distribution and marketing of creative products, thus
passing on know-how of business, product development and technical skills;
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the creative enterprise/pilot center should propose an organized structure for putting
these products on the market namely through developing distribution channels and
relations with buyers;
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the creative enterprise/pilot center should have as a main objective to improve the
livelihoods of creative producers while fostering creative expression both traditional and
innovative and building professional networks in the region or sub-region;
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the capacity building and production process should be documented in a way that can
be referred to and passed on.
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Reasons for proposing UNESCO assistance:
Relationship between the project and UNESCO’s regular programme priority activities in
the same area
II.
Objectives of the project
a) The project should aim at transforming the cultural enterprise itself into a sustainable
partner, resource and training centre for artists, designers and artisans providing them
with the service of technical training in their particular creative area and facilitating their
access to markets;
b) This project should aim to render the cultural enterprise self-sustainable by and the end
of the programme. In order to achieve this,
c) Develop an awareness among producers of the wider context of their activities and the
markets;
d) The Project proposed by the cultural enterprise should have a strong business plan and
a strong training agenda.
III. Main inputs
Nature and scope of the resources required for carrying out the project’s activities :
a) A working group should be put forth for managing the cultural enterprise
comprising of comparative institutions within the regional partners with the relevant
experience and knowledge; and supporting them in defining what they want to
achieve and how;
a) This group should accompany them in developing a strategy/business plan and
throughout its implementation, Collaborating with and drawing upon the
entrepreneurial and creative expertise and experience within comparative
institutions within regions.
b)
USD 150,000 will be given per project for the 2 years during which it will be
accompanied by the Programme after this time the cultural enterprise/cultural
contact point will be expected to be well on the way to becoming a self-sufficient
enterprise attracting creators and buyers.
IV. Main activities
For the training aspects, the following need to be envisaged:
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Traditional practice, contemporary developments and innovation - research
collection of exemplary products (regional and from competitor nations globally)
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coupled with illustrated web database detailing origin (histories, location),
techniques, materials, production techniques, pricing, capacity, delivery-time.
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Learning materials (outreach programme delivery) and technical training manuals
for product development, marketing (local and export to global), strategic planning
and project/ enterprise management
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Experiential learning - case studies of existing (and ceased) projects / enterprise highlighting models of good practice and comparative models exampling issues that
have destabilised and led to closure.
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Reference library of relevant publications produced by external organisations
(UNESCO; ATA; ILO etc.; Government Depts; and scholars / researchers)
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Database providing key information on:
designers, artists and artisans;
suppliers and buyers; training organisations (formal sector institutions & NGOs);
calendar of trade opportunities, key dates and events (not only specific to design /
craft but also tangential public events (sports, political, cultural) local, regional and
international.
Particular emphasis should be placed on the relationship between the artist, artisan,
designer, their creative output and wider social context (information transfer, the
environment, health education)
Tasks to be performed by project staff and aimed at producing the project’s outputs:
Documentation
Maintaining contacts with staff on other projects
Facilitating access to material and trainers
V.
Main results to be achieved
After the two years of accompaniment the cultural enterprise/focal point will be a selfsufficient enterprise attracting both creators and buyers.
Around the process a resource of documentation and experimental learning material
will have been put together
Through the multilateral process of the project, a network will have been created
facilitating the exchange of information between projects, comparative institutions and
countries
It will be able to pass on the knowledge acquired in the process. Products of the
activities of the project (outputs)
VI. External factors to be taken into consideration
Assumptions, risks, etc.
The profile and availability of the international partner that will support the enterprise.
Learning materials might be hard to come by both in terms of reference publications as well
as technical equipment.
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VII. Special considerations
This programme is not intended to support nascent enterprises, but those already
operating, with high potential and that need support in better organizing themselves, and
thinking about their activities and services.
Impact of the project on priority target groups:
 train creators in techniques and methodology in the production, distribution and
marketing of creative products, thus passing on know-how of business, product
development and technical skills;
 improve the livelihoods of creative producers while fostering creative expression both
traditional and innovative and building professional networks in the region or sub-region;
 pool information that creators can have access to (on designers and artisans, suppliers
and buyers, training organisations and trade fairs.)
 creative and entrepreneurial expertise of the creators will have been enhanced and
networked to permit a cross fertilisation of experiences.
The impact on global priorities as defined by the UNESCO Programme :
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The creation of opportunities for cultural diversity, creativity and pluralism of ideas;
The enabling of domestic cultural industries to contribute to sustainable socio-economic
development and the elimination of poverty;
The promotion of respect for international copyright regulations and the development of
effective mechanisms to prevent piracy;
The building of local capacities to increase competitive participation in domestic and
international markets;
The promotion of partnerships between public sector, private sector and civil society
sector. (More details available on http://www.unesco.org/culture/alliance)
Annexes
1. Preliminary work-plan
2. Estimated budget in US dollars
(including information on the exchange rate used, if original budget estimates were
established in local currency)
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