The CREACT4MED Closing Event “Forging Future Paths for Creativity and Culture” was concluded with great success last week in Barcelona with the participation of over 100 stakeholders from across the Mediterranean. The event was organised by project coordinator EMEA and project partner IEMED on the 10th and 11th July 2024 and took place at EMEA HQs in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sant Pau Recinte Modernista, Barcelona, and online.

Over the past 4 years, CREACT4MED has provided financial support to cultural and creative entities, launched a training programme to upskill budding entrepreneurs, and has built a community of over 1600 creative minds across the Mediterranean region. On the 10th and 11th of July 2024, over 100 participants, including project partners and beneficiaries, financial agents, business development experts and start-ups, celebrated the project’s final event in Barcelona as the CREACT4MED team presented the project’s impact and achievements. The event aimed to gather key stakeholders from across the Mediterranean to solidify the CREACT4MED community and spark further action for stronger and brighter cultural and creative industries in the Mediterranean.

The event started on 10 July 2024 with a welcome speech by CREACT4MED Coordinator & EMEA Senior Project Officer, Maria Ruiz de Cossío. She welcomed all the participants and congratulated them on their great efforts and contributions to the cultural and creative industries so far in their careers. Following this, EMEA Project Manager, Christine de Visser chaired the first session: CREACT4MED Best Practice Awards Ceremony. The winners of the CREACT4MED Best Practice Awards were:

• EGYPT: Al Qalam, Egypt, represented by Mohamed Hassan
• JORDAN: Puppets World for the Development of Children represented by Rami Bader and Loiy Bader
• LEBANON: theOtherDada on behalf of Studio Madane, Lebanon, represented by Nader Akoum
• MOROCCO: Meteor Airlines represented by Rachid Ennassiri
• PALESTINE: Askadar for Culture and Arts represented by Naim Shakhshir
• TUNISIA: DigiArtLivingLab represented by Bilel Billeli

6 special mention prizes were awarded to:

• Almah
• Qaleb Studio
• SAWA For Development & Aid
• 4SFEST
• Tamer Institute for Community Education
• Couscous Publishing House     

On the second day there was the CREACT4MED Pitching Session. 23 companies have been supported since Autumn 2023 and at the sessions, they pitched to look for further funding to support their CCI business ventures. Following the pitches, the entrepreneurs heard from the investors themselves in the session: “Fostering Creative Ventures: Access to Finance Fireside Chat in the Southern Mediterranean” on what they needed to know about various sources of funding including crowdfunding, business angels, impact investments, credit guarantee schemes, donors and sponsorship programmes.

Finally, the event came to a close with the Entrepreneur’s Exhibition and a live concert by Café d’Alger. Each entrepreneur was provided with a booth to showcase their business to investors, BSOs, and other experts in the Southern Mediterranean Region.

The CREACT4MED project was co-funded by the European Union and was coordinated by the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association.