Creathon merges the fields of tech and culture
Creathon (1.8.2018 – 30.6.2020) is a project that seeks to enhance the ICT competence of people working in the fields of arts and culture. The project also explores ways to improve the contact of ICT and the cultural industries in the educational structures of universities of applied sciences.
One of the goals of Creathon is to develop an operating model that is tailored to respond to the challenges related to the arts and culture and regional areas of growth.
The project culminates in the establishing of a ’Creathon model’, i.e. a multidisciplinary tech culture training that seeks to increase the cooperation between the creative industries, other professional fields, education providers, and employers.
Creathon is especially targeted to ICT professionals and cultural management students at the later stage of their studies.
Creathon opens new horizons for the creative industries
Technology progresses at such a rapid rate that it can be difficult to keep track of the latest developments. There is a continually increasing amount of ways to do creative work and share it with an audience, as well as new digital tools, revenue models, and ways of organization and consumption.
Project manager Sanna Pekkinen says that the Creathon trainings have proven useful for all participants.
During the past spring, many people have discovered the value of digital solutions for the cultural industries. On the other hand, ICT professionals need content for the technologies they develop. Creathon has opened up new horizons for work and cooperation for both parties, says Sanna Pekkinen.
Through the testing of VR and AR applications and games, professionals in the creative industries gain first-hand experience of the latest developments. As a consequence, they can better visualize the possibilities that technology can offer to their own line of work.
A collaboration of cultural management educators
Creathon has been a successful collaboration between the universities of applied sciences that educate cultural managers in Finland. Every two weeks, the project staff has held virtual meetings, during which they have discussed the possibilities that digital applications can present to different professional fields.
The Creathon project has also had some continuing effects to the studying opportunities at Humak. A course on digital environments (digitaaliset toimintaympäristöt in Finnish), which was created during the project, has remained as an option on CampusOnline and Humak Open University of Applied Sciences. The digital environment course is a viable way for Humak alumni to supplement their degree.
There is a wealth of material on the Creathon website that is freely available for UAS teachers as well as ICT and creative arts professionals.
