Building bridges between local territories and Europe to anticipate the challenges of training and skills development in the cultural and creative sectors. With this goal in mind, Becky Riches from Materahub traveled to Turin to meet the F.i.Re – Formazione in rete network, an informal network of organisations active in the field of cultural and artistic education in the north-west.
A Strategic Alliance Across Italy and Europe
This crucial meeting and the upcoming initiatives have been made possible thanks to a powerful strategic alliance. Materahub has joined forces with Fondazione Fitzcarraldo (Piedmont) through the RSP (Regional Skills Partnership) Creative South, and with ART-ER from Emilia-Romagna. Together, these organisations are connecting different regional ecosystems to build a unified front for creative skills development.
The European Context: Why Start from Brussels?
Discussing Europe, skills, and lifelong learning today is not about looking at something far away. On the contrary, the priorities and guidelines emerging at the European level will directly influence cultural policies, funding schemes, and opportunities impacting our local territories.
For the FIRE network, the July 1st meeting served as a fundamental moment for orientation and positioning. With the valuable support of Barbara Revelli from ELIA and contributions from Luiza Moroz of Culture Action Europe, the European context was analysed in depth - exploring what is emerging in Brussels for the upcoming 2028–2034 European framework, the role of the Creative Pact for Skills, and the opportunities arising from Regional Skills Partnerships (RSPs).
The Focus: The "Creative South" RSP and Regional Collaborations
During the meeting, Becky Riches presented Materahub’s experience and its ongoing work on the Regional Skills Partnership (RSP) "Creative South", a strategic initiative aimed at uniting forces across Southern European regions to develop key skills in the cultural sector.
Towards Creative Skills Week 2026: The Cyanotypes Open Pilot to co-created a Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
Effective communication across different stakeholder groups is often cited as one of the biggest challenges in conveying the value proposition of this type of strategic alliance.
The F.i.Re members were invited to participate in a collaborative co-design workshop (powered by the Cyanotypes framework and toolkit) aimed at developing a shared vision for cultural and creative skills, green and digital transitions, and ecosystem growth in Southern Italy.
In partnership with Fondazione Fitzcarraldo and ART-ER, this initiative features a unique cross-regional exchange, bringing together experiences from the Creative South, Northwest, and Emilia-Romagna ecosystems. Participants from public, private, and non-profit sectors will work practically to build an engagement strategy and a toolkit for mapping stakeholder power and influence.
The connections forged in Turin extend far beyond the local level, aiming directly at an international stage. The FIRE network has launched a small mobility fund to support its members in attending the Creative Skills Week 2026, taking place in Brussels from September 7th to 9th.
Within this European framework, the results of this joint collaboration will be officially showcased.