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1. Developing entrepreneurial skills through cultural activities

2. Support young entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative sectors

Developing entrepreneurial skills through cultural activities

In the context of some courses for cultural occupations, students are able to hone their business skills through cultural and creative activities. This is particularly the case for courses which prepare for the commercial cultural sectors (book, press, audiovisual and multimedia).

For example, Paris Fashion School, a co-creation of the ENSAD - National Graduate School for the Decorative Arts (Ecole nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs), which is a public higher education institution coming under the Ministry of Culture, the Ecole des MINES ParisTech and Paris-Dauphine University, offers courses combining "creativity, strategy and innovation". The Master's programmes include modules on production of materials and textiles, artistic and creative skills, marketing, strategy and start-ups as well as production, law and new materials. During their training, students take part in workshops with guest designers and also learn during placements. 

It is worth mentioning that there are a large number of courses blending cultural practices with the development of business skills, but it is not possible to go into them all here, given their sheer number and diversity. Moreover, such courses are not all taught by the same establishments (private or public for example) and do not all have the same learning outcomes.

Support young entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative sectors

The Ministry of Culture and its DGMIC - General Directorate for Media and the Cultural Industries (Direction Générale des Médias et des Industries Culturelles) have helped to finance the setup of a collaborative platform "www.entreprendre-culture.fr", developed by the cultural entrepreneurship association MERCI - Undertaking in the Culture and Innovation Networks Mission (Collectif Mission Entreprendre dans les Réseaux de la Culture et de l’Innovation), founded in 2014. The members making up its network include structures which offer guidance to project leaders and entrepreneurs in the cultural sector.

The website www.entreprendre-culture.fr is a collaborative tool providing cultural entrepreneurs with a discussion forum and resource base on cultural entrepreneurship.

This tool offers a database which lists the cultural entrepreneurship guidance structures funded by the public authorities.

Through this database, it is possible to:

• Raise the profile of project leaders and cultural entrepreneurs in existing guidance structures in France,
• Promote the guidance schemes provided by the guidance structures (incubators).

The website also has an information section on cultural entrepreneurship, an events calendar, a newsletter for project leaders and cultural entrepreneurs and a professional area for the guidance structures.

In addition to the website, the Ministry of Culture has also set up an "Undertake in Culture in 2018” Forum (Forum Entreprendre dans la Culture en 2018), hosting conferences, workshops and an incubator for students, entrepreneurs and professionals in the Culture sector.