At the end of September, a significant event for the creative and cultural sectors took place at the Prague Congress Centre – Creative Skills Week 2025 (CSW 2025). Its central theme was “Create. Transform. Regenerate.” This call to action was directed at creatives, educational institutions, and public sector representatives to jointly build new competencies for a digital and green future. The event was organized by Kreativní Praha and ELIA, in collaboration with the CYANOTYPES and SACCORD projects (Erasmus+ programme), and its main goal is to bridge education, creative practice, and competencies in the creative and cultural sectors.
Participation from Creative Industry Košice
The Creative Industry Košice team was represented at CSW 2025 by three representatives: Alexandra Matiová, Verana Dobál, and Apolónia Pecka Sejková. They took the opportunity to participate in the CYANOTYPES Pilot Training, through which they gained information and skills to fully utilize tools developed within the project, such as the Blueprinter, the CYANOTYPES Strategic skills for creative futures cards, or the creation of educational plans. Furthermore, the methodology used for analysing skill acquisition needs in the creative industry proved to be practically applicable for creative sector research during joint workshops. Therefore, the participation of the CIKE representatives brings a fresh perspective to the research activities that the organization also focuses on.
The CIKE organization participated not only as a visitor but as an active implementer of four projects: CYANOTYPES, GreenCCIrcle, x-Inno Radar, and Craftwork 4.0 All. Their presence in Prague signifies not only representation on the European stage but also an opportunity to transfer experiences and methodologies back to the Košice region.
Event Programme
The event programme was divided into several parts, each focusing on a different aspect of competency development in the creative sector. The opening and closing parts were held online and included a series of workshops and a “project marketplace” – a space for presenting European initiatives focused on skills development in the cultural and creative sectors. This was followed by the CYANOTYPES Training block, designed for experts in education, strategy, and cultural management who are involved in creating competency frameworks for the creative industries. Here, participants worked through peer-matching, scenario creation, and collaborative activities aimed at jointly finding solutions and new approaches.
The main conference part – the Creative Skills Conference – belonged to leaders, educational institutions, creative professionals, and public administration representatives who discussed digital transformation, the green future, and the competencies needed for the sector in the coming years. As part of the CYANOTYPES training, Alexandra Matiová and Apolónia Pecka Sejková engaged in practical workshops and creative processes focused on building competencies for the creative sector – particularly on creating educational pathways and linking them to digital and green transformation. The representatives of Creative Industry Košice attended the conference programme, concurrent workshops, and actively networked with European partners. The organization’s projects – CYANOTYPES, GreenCCIrcle, x-Inno Radar, and Craftwork 4.0 All – were naturally part of this international discussion, whose main themes – competencies, green skills, digital innovation, and cross-sector collaboration – closely resonated with the mission of Creative Industry Košice.
Importance for the Regional Context
Participation in CSW 2025 brought more to Creative Industry Košice than just an opportunity to build the team’s internal capacities. The acquired knowledge, methodologies, and contacts opened concrete pathways for regional connection to European platforms. It was an opportunity to test the boundaries of their own work, network, experiment with new formats of education and competencies, and strengthen their role in the broader European context. The creation of new competencies in the creative sector, hands-on workshops, peer coaching, and scenario work are concrete tools that the CIKE team can utilize when developing their own educational programmes in Košice.
The programme made it clear that the creative and cultural sector is perceived in the European context not only as a creative space but as an engine of transformation – digital, green, and social. Projects like GreenCCIrcle and Craftwork 4.0 All thus have the potential to connect the local context with the European vision – the competencies being learned here can be adapted directly in the Košice region.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
