As part of the international project Undertaking Business in Culture, a collaboration between the Fondazione Scuola dei beni e delle attività culturali and ICCROM, applications are now open for suitable learning partners to join the Cultural Entrepreneurship Programme.
We are looking for 20 creative business minds – citizen or resident of one of Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Italy, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe – who have a few years’ experience as cultural entrepreneurs; are inspiring and creative; are innovators and risk takers in the cultural heritage and creative industries in their country; and are dedicated to transforming and contributing to the sustainability of the creative and cultural sector.

Undertaking Business in Culture is an opportunity for young Africans and Italians to develop their entrepreneurial skills in the fields of cultural heritage industries. Through training and mentoring actions, the programme will be characterized by learning by doing and peer-to-peer approach, with the possibility to meet and network with fellow young entrepreneurs, thus creating an international community of practice.

During an online training module, spread over 11 weeks,  from September to December 2023, the programme will provide the young entrepreneurs in the cultural sector with the training and support they need to advance in five important cluster topics: : Business Modelling and Planning for the Cultural and Creative Sector, Fundraising and Sponsorship, Start-Up Incubators Counselling, Sustainability and Community Involvement in Creative and Culture Sector, Marketing and Communication Strategies. Each topic will be covered in webinar (frontal lectures) and rount tables (case-studies, assignments, workshops).
The working language will be english. The course will be entirely free of charge.

Once the conditions for the continuation of the Programme have been favorably evaluated, 10 participants will be selected to carry out in-presence on-field activities in Italy and/or Africa in 2024. These activities will be aimed at introducing the young entrepreneurs to leading experts, companies and entities in the cultural and creative sector. At the end of this second module, they will be asked to apply their newly acquired knowledge to their project and make a final presentation. The 3 most outstanding applicants will receive a seed grant to invest in their project.

The outline of the programme focuses on role that culture and cultural heritage play as an engine for local and regional development by putting an accent on employment, social inclusion, and entrepreneurship in the cultural sector in line with the main objective of the ICCROM Youth.Heritage.Africa programme and on the strengthening of the skills of Italian and foreign professional and the internationalization of Italian cultural institutions in line with the objectives of the Fondazione.