2020 is full of challenges caused by limited freedom of movement and travel, affecting virtually all aspects of our personal and professional life. The social and economic impact on various industries is still being assessed, but there is no single sector, which could dodge COVID effects. The creative sector of economy is no exception and like many others, needs support across its respective ecosystems and supply chains.
We at Kolba Lab believe that there is a bright future for the Creative Industry in Armenia and want to nudge the development of the sector through our new call for start-up ideas. We are looking for future-oriented and agile cross-sector collaborations that are emerging to address various socio-economic problems and will be implemented in Shirak Region.
Back in 2019, during our experimental future research (foresight) on creative industry development in Shirak region, our team has identified the following priority areas:
- Digital solutions/services for art institutions (museums, theatres, libraries, art galleries, etc..) and cultural sites and monuments;
- Future of cultural sites and creative spaces;
- Future-oriented products and services in cultural tourism
- Digital advertising and marketing of local arts and crafts
- Platforms and collaborative formats for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange in culture and creative sectors;
- The revival of old traditional crafts and introduction of new innovative features
- Online marketplace for local arts and crafts production
- Eco- production in fashion design
Refer to this list as guidance, but not something that might limit your imagination! We are open to creative ideas that generate positive social outcomes. If you have an idea that fits into one of the directions highlighted above and will be implemented in Shirak region, Kolba would love to work with you. We expect to receive start-up ideas, which can be prototyped and tested within the upcoming 4-5 months. For this, we will help you to incubate your idea into a viable project with professional mentorship and guidance, followed by seed funding of $3000-$5000.
Art and creativity have the power to inspire, unite, and change behaviour at the individual and collective level. Creativity and change are intimately linked. Community arts centres, museums, theatres, various art festivals and showrooms have been traditionally boosting local economies, inspiring young people and bringing us together. Today, digital technologies offer an exciting opportunity for creatives to continue pushing boundaries and amplify their social impact. We will be happy to receive your ideas that help to boost the economy.
Submit your idea using this online form. The deadline for submissions is August 10.
