Empowering Creative Circular Entrepreneurs (ECCE) was conceived with this understanding in mind, that the creative industry will not return to its pre-pandemic peak until a new method of supporting and upskilling creatives for modern, sustainable business and future of employment needs are introduced. There must be a way to future-proof the creative sector after covid. Amid the economic and social crisis of the last 15 months, there has been a growing desire for new ways of doing business when normal economic activity is resumed. However, re-skilling and upskilling is needed to help self-employed and unemployed creatives to achieve circularity in their profession.
A large proportion of those in the EU who worked in the cultural and creative sector pre-pandemic were young people. This means a whole generation of young and promising creative entrepreneurs have had their careers and prospects indefinitely delayed or taken away forever. It is also true that most people working in the sector, especially in arts and crafts are self-employed. Covid has left young creatives in a most precarious position, it will be years (if at all) for many of these creative businesses to return to pre-pandemic levels of employment and revenue.
The EU Green Deal has made the circular economy a central component of its aim to half emissions in the next decade and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, towards for a shift for greener and more sustainable economic activity. The focus towards circular and sustainable business means most creative entrepreneurs will return to a vastly different environment when their business is back up and running. Despite our different VET specialisations and locations, partners share a common need to introduce new climate smart training which will future proof the creative sector. By working together, we will reach a quicker roll out of this new teaching with more authenticity and flexibility. The ECCE resources as a complete professional training package are robust enough to yield different results across the different countries of each partner, making them adaptable to their needs and the needs of creative entrepreneurs and VET organisations all over Europe.