A creative expedition to Paris led to new collaborations
Earlier this year, Gijs Gootjes, the director of our regional hub in Amsterdam, embarked on a “creative expedition” to Paris — exploring cultural and creative spaces over the span of two days, engaging in inspiring discussions and starting new collaborations between Europe’s creative hubs.
One of EIT Culture & Creativity’s strengths is our pan-European presence, which allows us to better understand regional needs. We have colleagues all around Europe, working from our headquarters in Cologne and our 6 regional hubs.
For participants, this creative expedition reaffirmed a simple truth: culture and creativity are not just assets, they are necessities for a thriving future.
Together, we must continue to build bridges, foster collaborations, and ensure that Europe’s creative industries remain at the heart of transformation.
In our discussions, we explored the potential for international collaborations to amplify the reach of these creative hubs and enhance their impact.
Pictured: visiting Ville-de-Demain at Station F, the world’s largest startup campus.
Exploring Creative Hubs: Le 6b & POUSH
During this trip, EIT Culture & Creativity joined forces with the City of Amsterdam, a partner and host of our North-West regional center, and Paris Capitale Economique.
The Expedition began at Le 6b, a dynamic cultural and creative space in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris facing socio-economic challenges. This inspiring hub places arts and crafts at its core, with a strong emphasis on community engagement and social impact.
From violin builders, visual artists, fashion designers to visionary architects, Le 6b exemplifies how creativity can transform spaces and connect local and international communities.
Next, we visited POUSH, currently housed in a stunning former perfume factory in Aubervilliers, a region drawing creative talents in recent years. Here, we explored a fascinating mix of artist studios and contemporary art exhibitions. One of the highlights was the powerful exposition “Rire sur un volcan”, showcasing the diversity of artistic expression across various media.
The film “Showreel Nano Ville 2024″ by Elliot Causse, which captures the creative power of the artists at POUSH, was another highlight. These spaces underscored the importance of facilities for the arts: not just for the artists themselves, but for the city and local communities. Their richness lies in their diversity of cultures, disciplines, and community-driven spirit.
Soirée at Atelier Néerlandais
The Creative Expedition continued into the evening with a Soirée at Atelier Néerlandais, where we connected with key players in the cultural and creative industries, discussing the role of Cultural & Creative Industries in driving innovation and transformation.
The Cultural and Creative Industries are not just about culture—they are engines of economic, social, and environmental transformation. However, they face three critical challenges:
- Scaling impact
- Strengthening European collaboration
- Developing sustainable business models
Bas Beekman (City of Amsterdam), Marc Lhermitte (EY) and Gijs Gootjes (EIT Culture & Creativity) Laure Colliex (Manifesto, POUSH), explored key questions:
- What funding models will ensure resilience in a post-subsidy world?
- How can European cities collaborate rather than compete to build a stronger creative economy?
The conclusion was that now, more than ever, Europe must support innovation, build resilient ecosystems, and leverage culture and creativity as a strategic asset.
Amsterdam & Greater Paris: A Shared European Ambition
Amsterdam and Greater Paris share a common goal: to position Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) as key drivers of transformation for more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities.
Araf Ahmadali (City of Amsterdam) highlighted the importance of data-driven cultural policies, like Amsterdam’s new Plan for the Arts. A shared concern in Grand Paris (David Monteau), which seeks territorial balance despite real estate pressures, backed by strong state support (Laurent Roturier).
These discussions highlighted the two cities’ strong commitment to supporting creative and cultural startups that drive sustainability and social impact. The city actively invests in innovative ecosystems, fostering the circular economy and social inclusion, in collaboration with initiatives such as EIT Culture & Creativity and dedicated accelerator programmes for CCIs.
Strengthening European Collaboration
This Creative Expedition underscored the urgent need for stronger European collaboration to help CCIs scale, create impact, and position themselves as true drivers of change. At a time when Europe must innovate, connect, and align its strengths, cultural and creative industries play a crucial role in shaping the future.
Paris Capitale Economique and #LesMAGNETiques, a programme supported by Métropole du Grand Paris, organised this expedition to bring together Policy makers, business leaders, artists, cultural institutions, and innovators. Their mission: to highlight how culture and CCIs are central to making our cities more attractive, sustainable, and inclusive.
The trip ended with a visit to Station F, the world’s largest startup campus. Here, in the heart of Paris, we met startups transforming creativity into scalable ventures through the Ville de Demain (City of Tomorrow) programme an initiative dedicated to drive urban innovations through technology and sustainability.
If you’d like to host a creative expedition in our North-West region, reach out to us here!
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The trip ended with a visit to Station F, the world’s largest startup campus.
