How the GreenCCircle Project is shaping the Professional Profiles for the Green Transition of Creative and Cultural Industries
The GreenCCircle project, a collaboration between prominent European partners such as Materahub, CIKE, CreativeFED, Fondazione Ca’ Foscari, Fundacja ARTeria, Baltic Film & Creative Tech Cluster, Julie’s Bicycle, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk), Estonian Academy of Arts, and Instituto para el Fomento del Desarrollo y la Formación, addresses the urgent need to close the skills gap in the creative and cultural industries regarding sustainability.
The first step of this project was the development of the Sustainability Facilitator Professional Profile, aimed at equipping professionals with the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to lead the green transition in the arts and culture sectors.
As the world confronts the challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation, the creative and cultural industries are being called upon to play a significant role in promoting sustainability. The GreenCCircle project, funded by the European Union, has been pivotal in defining a competency framework that empowers professionals in the CCI to act as agents of change, with a particular focus on the Sustainability Facilitator Professional Profile. This professional profile is designed to develop competencies across EQF levels 4 to 7. Each level focuses on progressively advanced skills in both sustainability and entrepreneurial competencies. For instance, at EQF level 4, learners are introduced to the fundamental concepts of sustainability and its relevance to the arts and culture sectors, while level 7 prepares professionals to lead and inspire others in implementing sustainable strategies within and beyond the CCI. A critical aspect of the professional profile is its dual focus. On the one hand, it emphasizes the importance of sustainability content knowledge, including the ability to assess environmental impacts and integrate sustainable practices into artistic production. On the other hand, it fosters entrepreneurial skills such as project management, strategic planning, and leadership, ensuring that professionals not only understand sustainability but can also drive its implementation within their organizations.
The GreenCCircle initiative goes beyond theoretical knowledge by outlining practical steps for developing training content and modules, tailored to different EQF levels. These profiles will serve as the foundation for future training programs aimed at upskilling professionals in the CCI, ensuring they are well equipped to support the green transition. In conclusion, the GreenCCircle project is a key step toward embedding sustainability within the creative and cultural industries. Recently, the partners conducted national focus groups with experts to validate the Sustainability Facilitator Professional Profile and assess it according to the real needs and insights gathered during these sessions.
Defining clear professional profiles and competencies empowers individuals and organizations to contribute to a more sustainable future while fostering innovation and resilience in the sector. The project highlights the potential of CCIs to lead by example, promoting sustainability and demonstrating how creativity can drive positive change in society.