Two intense days filled with conversations about creativity, collaboration, and the future of cities are behind us. At Tytonie.art, people who bring culture to life in their cities every day came together – from Gdańsk and Kraków to Tartu, Oulu, and Novi Sad. During the conference organized by the Incubator of the Lublin Creative District, we discussed how creative districts are formed and how they operate – spaces where art, business, and community begin to speak the same language.
There were presentations, panels, meetings, and plenty of questions: How can we revitalize post-industrial spaces without losing their spirit? How do we create places that are both artistically vibrant and economically sustainable? How can we build networks of cooperation between cities, institutions, and creators?
Representatives of remarkable initiatives from across Europe joined us: 100cznia and Grid Art Hub from Gdańsk, Dzielnica Wesoła from Kraków, Fabryka Sztuki from Łódź, Aparaaditehas from Tartu, Creative Industry Košice, Pikisaari from Oulu, DEPO2015 from Pilsen, Novi Sad 2022, and Centrul Cultural PLAI from Romania. Together with the teams from Tytonie.art, the Centre for Culture in Lublin, the Institute of Creative Industries, and representatives of the cities of Lublin and Warsaw, we explored how to translate these experiences into the local context.
The takeaways? Creative districts are not projects to be “completed,” but processes to be nurtured. Success happens where different sectors – public, private, and social – come together. The most inspiring things happen when space is left for co-creation.
Alongside the conference, there were creative fairs, exhibitions, a performative vernissage, and a mural documenting the event in real time. There was also time for networking and an afterparty – because conversations about creativity flow best with good music and a relaxed atmosphere.
And this is just the beginning – the Incubator of the Lublin Creative District is just getting started. We’ll keep connecting people and ideas, creating space for dialogue and experimentation.
