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Romantso Creative Hub
Published on 15 May 2020
Greece
Attiki
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About this good practice
Romantso is the most recent iteration of BIOS, an initiative founded in 2001 with the initial aim to provide a venue hosting electronic music events and later events introducing urban culture to the city of Athens. In 2015 the initiative was expanded to the dilapidating historical Romantso building located in one of the most degraded areas of central Athens. Its main aim was to provide a welcoming and affordable space targeting young creative professionals, while at the same time providing a venue for – mainly- avant-garde exhibitions, concerts, performances, collective actions, workshops and seminars. At the same time Romantso aimed at upgrading the wider area.
The incubator provides premises to new creatives, but also offers a wide range of services and advisory activity. The cultural centre, built around the café, the exhibition space and the concerts/ theatre stage functions on a daily basis presenting a variety of activities for and from the city’s people and the incubator’s members, offering a wide range of events related to urban life, music, performances, visual arts, food, discussions, presentations and exhibitions.
Romantso has been very active in upgrading both the physical infrastructure of the neighbourhood (garbage collection, cleaning, maintaining public facilities) as well as the social infrastructure, through the active involvement of residents and businesses in the planning of the interventions, the hosting of events which are open to the neighbourhood.
The incubator provides premises to new creatives, but also offers a wide range of services and advisory activity. The cultural centre, built around the café, the exhibition space and the concerts/ theatre stage functions on a daily basis presenting a variety of activities for and from the city’s people and the incubator’s members, offering a wide range of events related to urban life, music, performances, visual arts, food, discussions, presentations and exhibitions.
Romantso has been very active in upgrading both the physical infrastructure of the neighbourhood (garbage collection, cleaning, maintaining public facilities) as well as the social infrastructure, through the active involvement of residents and businesses in the planning of the interventions, the hosting of events which are open to the neighbourhood.
Resources needed
Being a privately owned firm, Romantso is run as a private enterprise. However, since the incubator finances the cultural center some of the activities depend on donations and funds raised through participation in research project
Evidence of success
The success of the practice is measured by: the steady growth in the demand for incubator space; the increasing number of events hosted; the establishment of Bios-Romantso as one of the main stakeholders in policy making and legislation on the cultural and creative industries, as well as the role of creative hubs in social innovation and local development. Its establishment as one of the main participants in the European Creative Hubs Network.
Potential for learning or transfer
Main elements that could be potentially interesting for other regions to learn from:
Very important role of determined and capable initiator in the success of the practice
Networking – in terms of external relations (policy makers, communities of Creative hubs, media outlets) have been very significant
Creation of a support community has been central in the resilience of the practice (the cultural centre part supporting the incubator part)
Establishment of a professional team has been key. Voluntary work is important, however cannot possibly cover all needs.
Very important role of determined and capable initiator in the success of the practice
Networking – in terms of external relations (policy makers, communities of Creative hubs, media outlets) have been very significant
Creation of a support community has been central in the resilience of the practice (the cultural centre part supporting the incubator part)
Establishment of a professional team has been key. Voluntary work is important, however cannot possibly cover all needs.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Romantso Creative Hub
Greece
Attiki