HackCreative: An Industry Transformed, a cultural and creative industry hackathon, will take place online from May 1-3, bringing together technology enthusiasts as well as creative and cultural industry professionals and other stakeholders who could potentially create solutions to an unforeseen challenge. In cooperation with Swedbank, the three most successful projects will share a cash prize fund worth 10 000 euros.
The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on the cultural and creative industries across Europe, preventing them from continuing their daily work, generating income, and attracting visitors. Subject to social distancing and security rules, face-to-face events, and the opportunity to experience the arts, which are at the heart of the industry, have been abolished, as has the creation of art and culture. In the current situation, it has become particularly important to seize the opportunities offered by technology to create cross-sectoral cooperation projects and seek new solutions to ensure that the cultural industry is accessible to consumers and that it operates successfully in crisis and post-crisis period. Participation in the hackathon is free.
During the international hackathon, participants will work on projects with the support of experienced mentors and industry experts, as well as attend the free online workshops. Alex Antolino (Spain), Creative Director of Typeform, will lead a workshop on business in times of crisis; Sebastien Toupy (Netherlands), Head of Startup Relations at The Next Web, will talk about the potential of digital transformation; computer scientist and former TechHub Riga manager Līna Marta Sarma (Latvia) will offer creative technology training; Edgars Zvirgzdiņš (Latvia), the winner of the National Design Award of Latvia and the founder of Associates, Partners et Sons, will talk about design thinking, while Egita Poļanska (Latvia) from the accelerator Startup Wise Guys will give an insight into the product presentation.
Three most successful ideas, which will be selected by a jury of experts, will share the cash prize fund of 10 000 euros supported by Swedbank. Swedbank is a long-standing backer of many innovative ideas, which continues to emphasize the importance of cooperation and efforts to emerge stronger from the crisis. Swedbank has also previously supported hackathons such as HackForce and The Global Hack, which brought together members to work together to develop solutions to help fight the COVID-19 crisis. Registration for the hackathon is open until April 30: hackcreative.org
The 48-hour online hackathon invites all creative and cultural industry workers, as well as professionals from other industries who want to create solutions by encouraging collaboration between different industries and by building closer contact with the audience.Creative and Cultural Industries hackathon is organized by the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (NDPC) and supported by the Latvian Ministry of Culture, cooperation with Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, and Trans Europe Halles network. NDPC focuses on improving operational conditions for cultural and creative industries, bridging the gap between various sources of funding, sectors of activity, and strengthening cooperation between project owners, business communities, the public sector, and international institutions throughout the Northern Dimension. Read more about us: www.ndpculture.org
Hackathon HackCreative: An Industry Transformed is supported by Swedbank, Embassy of Sweden in Riga, Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia. Partners of the hackathon are FOLD, Loov Eesti, and Latvian Literature.
