hothouse©
Dec 1998 - Sept 2000

Subject area
Identification and structuring of supply and demand; establishing quality standards for new services.

Establishing quality standards for new services is our strategy for identifying and structuring the exuberant implications, of an expanding contemporary cultural market. Therefore we are overlapping two subject areas.

a. Introduction
The region, called Österlen, is situated in the south-eastern corner of Sweden and forms a coastline with the Baltic Sea. The region has much in common with other parts of Europe that form backwaters to industrial clusters and other politically high priority areas. It's a region with declining population due to absence of higher education and innovative employment possibilities and investments. But, it has experienced an unprecedented "immigration" of people from the cultural sector. They (we), have in spite of the situation, managed to make Österlen an important part of Swedish cultural events, productions and trade. We also have a national and transnational network, long forsaken by the local population and decision makers. We want to bring into evidence that this particular setting,
is a perfect foundation for the expansion of a dynamic cultural industry.

The fundamentals of this project, are to create and collect new means for the arts to pinpoint strategic targets. Initiatives that give prototypes of how ideas and reality, how different sections of planning and enterprising can be incorporated and fertilise one another in a new and substantial marketing of pilot co-ordination. The arts are the epitome of creativity and management, yet hardly considered as a partner in strategic planning, re-mapping, re-development and decision making. A specific problem in this matter is the need for both internal and external training and exposure of 'new practice'. It is hard at this stage to try and estimate the growth of employment numerically. But animation plays a considerable role, in making practice accessible in a short term perspective.
And thereby, increasing demand for such competence.

b. Project description/Expected results - general objectives
Except our daily support to projects and individual members, The hothouse is a pilot approach, investigating the role of the arts in contemporary development, using a research and demonstration scheme.
We are not focusing on the products of fine arts and crafts, but on the intervention of creative skills and strategies in social & city planning, municipality government and the innovative role that arts management can play in the industrial arena. By mapping and capitalising human resources in the regional cultural sector, by analysing and adapting some of the most current and visionary 'new practices' of the arts in Europe, by acting on the small municipality of rural and semi-urban structure, the project can be adopted as exemplary in an attempt to overrule decline of development in such areas.
Obtained experience should be formalised as case-studies/prototypes of how artists and cultural managers can contribute to a creative cartography within a changing society. By introducing and implementing a complementary working area for the arts, by exploring new markets, doors open for the application of a new kind of employment.
A focus that can be externalised and serve the re-definition of a more contemporary impact of cultural industry.

c. Method
#1 mapping the cultural industry in the regional area - provide a skill reference system of the assembled 'cultural capital' and content - both for wider territorial partnerships in the Third System and enhancing the value of these resources towards the private sector.
#2 adopting and integrating models and methods for exploiting 'new practices´ within the cultural sector and establishing transnational networks for exchange of experimented know-how.
#3 mediating between cultural resources and an innovative and dynamic approach to social and economic development, with the potential of associative calls for municipal partnerships within the pilot action programme.
#4 taking action in substantial work and "training", activating hypotheses for employment and market exploration, which also can serve as models within the cultural employment co-operation in the new Øresund region.
#5 formalising an evaluation practice and extracting the results of this action - to be used as prototypes in similar semi-urban or rural areas, or as project designs in similar cultural development projects.

The approach of this pilot scheme, outlined as 'research action', is the only believable course of emerging practical evidence for theoretical aims, and has been the frame of our ambition ever since the foundation of the Culture Bank in 1995. Facing lack of finance, this approach has been delayed. We are already well advanced in the process of mapping experimental developments, we now need to analyse and test these experiences and hopefully transfer acquired knowledge further on. In Sweden, much has been said, little has so far emerged. We turn our face to Europe and convert the most interesting initiatives to our own setting. Capitalisation of such new procedures are again necessary for the implementation of new services and new markets.

d. Target public
Municipal governments in the home region, private and public sectors, "translations" to similar geographical areas or cultural development projects throughout the Union.

e. Results
Quantification is so far irrelevant since the objectives are experimental. One can only anticipate the potential growth of employment. Evaluation will be the task of the monitoring institute, this being ECAM (European Centre for Art and Management), a research department attached to The School of Business at Stockholm University. 'Aesthtic' significance and quality approach as matter of ''enterprising', is one of the interests of this institute. And so it is experienced in evaluating and measuring the yet unmeasurable, but also in translating the wealth of the artistic approach into other circuits. ECAM will be continuously informed/involved during the project period.

f. Demonstration model
The absolute aim of this creative investment is to find representative ways of reinforcing the cultural sector...
See further specification under appendix 6 work programme.

g. European value
As already said, there are similar areas throughout Europe, municipalities, enterprise and Third System projects, that most likely could have use of our particular combination of action ingredients.