Speakers
Clare Sands
A sixth-generation fiddle player and bilingual singer
From Cork, Ireland. Clare draws deeply from the music of her ancestors, weaving Traditional Irish roots with Contemporary sounds and influences. Her songs are deeply connected to places where folklore, language, and activism rise in song. Known for her raw and infectious energy, she embodies a fearless warrior-like spirit that unites audiences around the world.
Louise Allen
Director of the Creative Futures Academy
Creative Futures Academy is a partnership between the National College of Art & Design (NCAD), Institute of Art, Design + Technology (IADT) and University College Dublin (UCD). Louise has held numerous roles in the cultural sector as CEO and Head of Innovation and Research at the Design & Crafts Council Ireland; President of World Crafts Council Europe, and Head of the International Programme for Irish Design 2015.
Jennie Moran
Visual Artist
Jennie Moran is a visual artist whose work explores hospitality as a creative and connective philosophy. Blending sculpture and food, she founded Luncheonette, an art/hospitality project at National College of Art and Design in 2013. She lectures widely, mentors in organisational hospitality and curates discursive events. She is chair of the Oxford Food Symposium and the Dublin Gastronomy Symposium and is the recipient of the Getty Research scholarship. Jennie is the author of ‘How to Soften Corners’ and was named Best Emerging Voice at the Irish Food Writing Awards.
Martin McGinn
Design Researcher, Service Designer and Healthcare Innovation Lead
Martin McGinn is a design academic, service designer and lecturer at Ulster University with over 20 years’ experience at the intersection of healthcare, design and education. He co-founded the innovative out-of-hours end-of-life care service, Life and Time, and has led major initiatives in palliative care education and healthcare innovation. Martin co-developed Clinical Creativity, a pioneering programme delivered through NCAD, UCD School of Medicine and the Creative Futures Academy, using design thinking and creative practice to transform clinical education. His work champions human-centred design to improve healthcare services, learning and patient experiences
Shane Casey
Creative Lead at Accenture and Speculative Design Futures Graduate, CFA at IADT
Shane Casey designs rehearsals of the future: structured encounters that let institutions test their strategies before reality does. He builds serious games and design-fiction experiences that take intangible questions and make them real. His recent work includes Raise Your Voice, a wargame on AI adoption in the humanitarian sector, and a design-fiction escape room on decentralised digital identity at SXSW.
He is a creative fellow at King’s College London, working with the Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War and on the future of slavery in conflict. Shane leads applied futures work at Accenture’s innovation hub, The Dock, in Dublin.
Charlotte Barker
Chief Executive, Institute of Designers in Ireland
Charlotte Barker is the Chief Executive of the representative body, The Institute of Designers in Ireland. Charlotte is a member of the Government Forum for Digital Creative Industries and a member of An Bord for the National College of Art and Design. In 2023 Charlotte instigated the sustainability platform Design Declares and recently led Design 2035, a vision of where Irish design will be in 10 years. The IDI will be leading a National Design Policy Lab programme through to 2027.
Alex Milton
Head of The School of Design, NCAD and CFA Institutional Lead
Professor Alex Milton is Head of the School of Design at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Ireland. His work focuses on participatory design, creative pedagogy and design for policy – developing national design strategies and running national design initiatives. He has authored 8 books. His creative work has been exhibited at numerous international venues including MUDAC Lausanne, Designers Block Milan, Irish Museum of Modern Art, National Museum of Scotland and 100% Design London. He has taught at Edinburgh College of Art, Heriot-Watt University, University of Dundee, Edinburgh Napier University, Central Saint Martins and the Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing.
Robert Power
Irish artist working in various mediums
His music has been described by Hotpress Magazine as “powerful, heartfelt and thought-provoking”. He has previously been selected for the RTÉ Radio 1 playlist and music industry magazine Record Of The Day and has performed at music, arts and theatre festivals in Ireland and the UK.
Robert is currently in development with A Version of Life, a multidisciplinary show created in the Trapdoor Theatre at University College Dublin with support from Creative Futures Academy. Directed by Olivier Award Winner Donnacadh O’Briain, the piece first showcased at Dublin Fringe Festival in 2024 and will make its international debut at Edinburgh Fringe 2027.
PJ Mathews
Director of CFA at UCD
P.J. Mathews is Director of the CFA at University College Dublin, where he is a Professor of Irish Literature, Drama and Culture. He has written widely on Irish literature, theatre, music and cultural history. He is co-editor (with Declan Kiberd) of Handbook of the Irish Revival (2015), editor of The Cambridge Companion to J. M. Synge (2009), and author of Revival (2003).
Film and television credits include Executive Producer (with Philip King and Adam Clayton), In Time: Dónal Lunny (South Wind Blows, 2025); Creator, The Flourishing (Tyrone Productions/ RTÉ, 2021); Script Writer and Literary Advisor, Voices of Ireland (Sky Arts / Red Shoe Productions, 2021).
Vivienne Patterson
Head of Skills and Engagement, Higher Education Authority, Ireland
Dr. Vivienne Patterson is Head of Skills, Engagement and Statistics at the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Since joining the HEA in 2006 as Head of Statistics, she has transformed the communication of education data through key national reports. Appointed to her current role in 2016, Vivienne oversees Springboard+, national apprenticeships in higher education, and the €300 million Human Capital Initiative driving agility and innovation across Ireland’s higher education system. She plays a key role in strategic engagement with enterprise to align education with future skills needs and serves on both the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and the High-Level Skills Implementation Group.
Sarah Glennie
Director, National College of Art & Design, Dublin
Professor Sarah Glennie is Director of the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to NCAD, she was Director of The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin (2012-2015) and previously as Director of the Irish Film Institute (IFI) (2008-2012). She was Artistic Director of the Model Arts and Niland Gallery in Sligo (2005-2008), and Commissioner of Ireland’s participation in the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005.
David Smith
President, Institute of Art, Design + Technology, Dun Laoghaire
David Smith was appointed President of IADT in 2020. He is the former Head of Faculty of Film, Art and Creative Technologies at IADT. He has extensive experience in higher education and professional practice. He is principal of the widely acclaimed design studio Atelier and was Programme Chair and Senior Lecturer in Visual Communications Design at IADT until 2015.
Regina Uí Chollatáin
Principal UCD College of Arts and Humanities
Regina Uí Chollatáin is the Principal / Dean of UCD College of Arts and Humanities. She is the Chair of Modern Irish and Literature in University College Dublin and was appointed the Director of the UCD Ad Astra Academy in 2025. She is the Chair of Foras na Gaeilge, one of the six North-South implementation bodies of the Good Friday Agreement, responsible for the promotion of Irish on the island of Ireland, and she is a member of the board of the Fulbright Commission.
Haude Blanc
Rural Development Expert
Haude Blanc is a rural development expert currently working as Networking and Project Officer at the Rural Pact Support Office, where she supports stakeholder engagement, networking activities and the implementation of the Rural Pact across EU Member States. She works closely with national and regional partners to organise policy dialogues, peer-learning activities and Rural Pact events, with a particular focus on strengthening integrated approaches to rural development. Before joining the Rural Pact Support Office, she worked in European rural policy and territorial development.
Klaus Ehrlich
General Secretary at Ruraltour – European Federation of Rural Tourism
Klaus Ehrlich studied Economics – Business Administration at the Universities of Siegen (DE) and Sevilla (ES). Co-founder manager of the rural tourism associations in Andalusia until 2006. Leading positions in Ruraltour – European Federation of Rural Tourism since 2002, currently Secretary General. Coordinator of the Pact for Skills in Tourism LSP and of the Community Group Rural Tourism of the Rural Pact. Member of expert groups and consultative bodies at the European Commission related with tourism and rural development. Independent work in consultancy and training at vocational and academic institutions.
Albert Meijer
Advisor Creative Europe Culture
Albert Meijer advises Dutch organisations on the Creative Europe Culture programme. He previously worked for the Brussels-based international network for performing arts IETM, and combines his work for DutchCulture with his own artistic practice as a theatre maker and comedian.
Anna Ochmann
Visual Artist, Interior Designer, Researcher, and Expert in the cultural and creative sectors
Anna Ochmann graduated the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and is currently pursuing her doctoral research at a university in Koblenz, Germany. Her interdisciplinary practice brings together art, design, and research, with a focus on the relationships between environment, memory, multisensory experience, and well-being. Alongside her artistic work, she has over 20 years of experience leading research and development projects in culture, education, and the creative industries, fostering international collaboration and social innovation.
Merje Laiapea
In Relation Lab, Lanka.pro
Through her consultancy In Relation Lab, Merje shapes research insights, practices, encounters and programmes that contribute to systemic transformation processes. She works collaboratively across borders, connecting culture, heritage and creative economy development with social and civic innovation. Merje is also a member of Lanka.pro collective where she develops solutions that help communities, places and organisations sense, lead and build from the emerging future. She is particularly interested in how artistic intelligence cultivates ecosystem awareness and helps us operate in more relational and regenerative ways. Merje has an MA in Global Creative and Cultural Industries from SOAS University of London.
Anna Spechtenhauser
Deputy Head of the Stuttgart Region European Office in Brussels
Anna Spechtenhauser is Deputy Head of the Stuttgart Region European Office in Brussels. She specialises in EU affairs, EU project management and skills development, with a particular focus on the automotive ecosystem and the cultural and creative industries (CCSI).
She leads the Regional Implementation Working Group and the Regional Pact for Skills within the Automotive Skills Alliance and co-leads the Creativity and New European Bauhaus (NEB) Working Group at ERRIN, where she also co-organises the annual EU Design Days. Anna studied Political Science in Austria and Denmark and is passionate about building European partnerships and translating EU policies into regional impact.
Koenraad Hinnekint
Performing Artist, Art Educator, and Posthuman Researcher, LUCA School of Arts
Koenraad Hinnekint is a performing artist, art educator, and posthuman researcher working at the intersection of the arts and educational sciences, with a keen interest in utopianism, futures thinking, and posthumanism. Based in Brussels at LUCA School of Arts and in Leuven at KU Leuven’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Koenraad holds an MA in Music Pedagogy, an MA in Conducting, and is a PhD researcher in Educational Sciences. His research interests lie in the future of school design in higher arts education, with a particular focus on ecologies of justice through posthuman and post-digital lenses. Koenraad has extensive experience as a project coordinator for numerous initiatives, funded by institutions such as the Association KU Leuven, the Flemish Government, and Erasmus+.
Chiara Lipari
Project Officer at Social Economy Europe
Chiara Lipari is a Project Officer at Social Economy Europe, where she is responsible for SEE’s activities within the Large-Scale Skills Partnership for the Proximity and Social Economy ecosystem, co-coordinated by Social Economy Europe and EURICSE. She also coordinates SEE´s EU funded projects activities including project proposals, work packages, multi-stakeholder partnerships, reporting and events.
Anna Chiara Carlet
Research Fellow and Project Manager specialising in sustainability and cultural
innovation
Her practice explores how culture, territories, and production systems can co-design
regenerative futures, fostering dialogue between creative industries, communities, and
ecological transition processes.
At aiku, she contributes to the development of strategies and projects that reimagine
culture as an infrastructure for innovation. Her work challenges the cultural and
creative sector to actively engage with the green transition, enabling circularity
pathways and forms of industrial symbiosis between industry and craftsmanship, while
promoting sustainable practices, material experimentation, and new collaborative
models. She has been collaborating with aiku since 2023.
Kobe Ardui
Lifelong Learning Coordinator – LUCA School of Arts
Kobe is a member of the department of educational development and quality assurance at LUCA School of Arts in Belgium. In this department, he coordinates the lifelong learning programmes at LUCA in all their aspects: quality assurance, financial, curriculum wise and communication wise. Working on this specific expertise helps Kobe to know and reach a very specific target group of professionals who are looking for further education, which provides a specific point of view within FILMEU. Kobe has a MA educational science from the University of Ghent. His ambition is to be an ambassador for Higher Arts Education in the broader context of Higher Education and to accomplish that, he has a vast network within different stakeholders from inside and outside the world of education, arts and design.
Becky Riches
Senior Project Manager at Materahub
Becky leads impact-driven cultural initiatives focused on sustainable development, participatory processes, and social inclusion. She brings extensive expertise in empowering creative professionals, facilitating inclusive co-creation, harnessing culture and craft for social good, and designing sustainable tourism models.
As a Senior Project Manager representing Materahub at CSW 26, Becky coordinates key initiatives centered on micro-credentials and competencies within the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) – including the CREDEX – Credentials for Creatives project and the Creative Pact for Skills Micro-Credentials working group.
With experience in large-scale cultural programming, Becky previously implemented capacity-building pathways for Matera 2019 (European Capital of Culture) and is currently coordinating the cultural programme for Matera 2026 – Capital of the Mediterranean and Dialogue title.
Gareth Lee
Director – Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet
Gareth has over 25 years’ experience of supporting skills and workforce development across the cultural and creative sectors in Ireland through senior leadership roles with Screen Ireland, the National Tertiary Office, City of Dublin ETB, Furthr and through his current role as the Director at Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet.
Gareth has a proven track record of working closely and collaboratively with key sectoral stakeholders and education and training providers to develop and deliver innovative and impactful skills development programmes and initiatives that support professionals, organisations and companies working across the cultural & creative sectors to develop, grow and thrive in a sustainable way.
Gareth has been involved in several Government/Industry Fora in Ireland, including the Audio-Visual Action Plan Steering Group and the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce. He currently chairs the Skills Subgroup of the Digital Creative Industries Roadmap Forum and he also sits on Ireland’s National Skills Council as an industry representative for the creative sector.
Sarah Daly
Executive Director, Creative Spark
Sarah is the Executive Director at Creative Spark, Centre for Creativity and Innovation, where she leads a team providing workspace and training solutions for small businesses, startups, and learners in the creative industries. Sarah oversees operations and strategy, delivering entrepreneurship support to clients. The centre’s FabLab, Print Studio, and collaborative spaces empower businesses in a creative environment. Passionate about community development through creative practice, Sarah creates initiatives that connect creatives, entrepreneurs, and communities to transform shared spaces. She holds a Fine Art degree and a Master’s in Art and Design, Social Practice and the Creative Environment.
Johan Van Aalst
Co-Founder sQuare
Johan van Aalst works across strategy, development and implementation at the intersection of learning and the cultural and creative industries. As co-founder of sQuare in Amsterdam, he takes an innovative, practice-based approach to microcredentials, skills recognition and lifelong learning.
Riina Õun
GreenCcircle Project Coordinator
Riina Õun is GreenCcircle Project Coordinator at the Estonian Academy of Arts’ Sustainable Design and Materials Lab (DiMa). She is also an independent interdisciplinary artist and designer based between Tallinn and London, working at the intersection of craftsmanship, biomaterials research, sustainability and participatory art.
Riina combines traditional craft with material innovation, circular design and creative education. Alongside her artistic practice, she develops bio-based materials and facilitates international workshops exploring sustainable making and responsible material use.
Through her work at the Estonian Academy of Arts and GreenCcircle, she supports the development of sustainable practices, knowledge exchange and innovation within the cultural and creative sectors.
Fabrizio Panozzo
Director – aiku center / Professor of Management at Ca’ Foscari University
Fabrizio Panozzo is director of the aiku center – Art Industry Culture of the Ca’
Foscari University of Venice where he is professor of cultural policies and critical
management studies and coordinator of the minor in “Artistic Management “. His
research and teaching interests focus on the various forms of interaction
between economic and artistic, cultural and creative processes. He has published
books and articles in international journals on these topics. In recent years he has conceived and directed a series of research projects elaborating the “Art & Business” model, with which he and his team propagate the idea of “artification” of professions and workplaces. In this context, his action-research interventions have introduced the expressive codes of artistic installation, video art, theatre, dance and poetry into several traditional working environments.
Rolf Hughes
Director of Education, EIT Culture & Creativity
As Director of Education at EIT Culture & Creativity, Dr Rolf Hughes leads the development of education and training strategies for European Culture and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI), while supporting interdisciplinary collaboration across the EIT Education Community. His work connects education, research, and entrepreneurship to strategic European priorities, specifically future-proofing students and CCSI professionals with entrepreneurial and cross-disciplinary skills for the green and digital transitions.
Ruba Saleh
Associate Professor, ICHEC Brussels Management School
Ruba Saleh is an Associate Professor at ICHEC Brussels Management School. An architect by training, she holds a PhD in Regional Planning and Public Policies. Her work focuses on the intersection of cultural heritage, economics, and cultural entrepreneurship, and her research and European projects explore cultural entrepreneurship and circular practices within the cultural and creative industries.
She is deeply committed to fostering participatory and co-design processes that bring new ideas to life, as well as developing lifelong learning programs for cultural and creative professionals. Beyond her roles as Head of Department and lecturer, she is an experienced mentor and educator.
Solène Moutier
Education Programme Manager / Lifelong Learning
Solène Moutier is a Programme Manager with 9+ years of experience in EU-funded projects, education, and public outreach. She’s currently leading the Degree Education area at EIT Culture & Creativity to support Master’s and PhD programmes across Europe in the Cultural and Creative sectors. Prior to that, Solène worked on the Girls Go STEM (formerly Girls Go Circular) initiative empowering young women to pursue careers in science and technology for the green transition.
Alexandra Matiová
Senior Project Manager at Creative Industry Košice, Slovakia
Alexandra Matiová is a senior project manager at Creative Industry Košice, Slovakia, with over a decade of experience designing and coordinating national and international projects at the intersection of culture, creativity, innovation and skills development. Since 2012, she has been contributing to the legacy of the European Capital of Culture Košice by developing initiatives that strengthen creative ecosystems, support lifelong learning, and empower people and organisations to adapt to social, digital and green transitions.
Her work focuses on future skills, entrepreneurship, capacity building and cross-sector collaboration, with a particular interest in the role of cultural and creative industries in regional development and innovation.
Adriana Pereira
Co-founder, The Fabricant | AI for fashion design teams
Adriana Pereira, co-founder of The Fabricant, is a leading female voice in fashion tech and a respected thought leader with two decades of experience in the global fashion industry. Through her work at The Fabricant, Adriana is helping shape a more inclusive and responsible fashion ecosystem.
Gerin Trautenberger
President, CreativeFED
Gerin Trautenberger works at the intersection of industrial policy and the Cultural and Creative Industries. He measures the sector’s contribution to innovation and economic resilience, and argues that case in policy — turning evidence into support instruments and cross-industry innovation agendas. He is President of Kreativwirtschaft Austria (Fachverband, WKO) and was Director of the EIT Culture & Creativity Co-Location Centre South East & Alps (2022–2026). He has coordinated Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and Interreg consortia securing €60m in grant funding, and served as evaluator and rapporteur for the European Commission under Horizon 2020. He is completing a PhD in Media Studies at the University of Vienna.
Giorgio De Bin
Secretary General (Managing Director) at Belgian-Italian Chamber of Commerce
Giorgio De Bin is Secretary General of the Belgian–Italian Chamber of Commerce in Brussels, where he promotes economic cooperation, business development and strategic partnerships between Belgium, Italy and the European institutions. Throughout his career, he has contributed to the strategic development and transformation of international organisations, strengthening their positioning and fostering relations with institutions, businesses and stakeholders across Europe. He has extensive experience in European affairs, EU funding and cross-border business cooperation, engaging with European institutions and helping SMEs, start-ups and non-profit organisations access new markets and European opportunities. Giorgio holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and an Executive MBA from Solvay Brussels School. He is currently pursuing a PhD at Solvay Brussels School, focusing on entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Lena Gieseke
Professor of Visual Media Technologies and Technical Direction, Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF
Lena Gieseke is Professor of Visual Media Technologies and Technical Direction in the M.A. Creative Technologies programme at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF in Potsdam, Germany, where she co-leads the CX Studio research group. Her work sits between computer graphics and artistic practice, spanning creative coding, generative AI, virtual production, computational aesthetics, and creative controllability. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Stuttgart, where she was a member of the Visual Computing group and a fellow of the Digital Media doctoral programme, and was a visiting research intern at Adobe Research in San Jose. Before returning to academia, she worked for several years as a software developer and 3D artist in visual effects and 3D animation. Her animation “A 3D Exploration of Picasso’s Guernica” has screened internationally.
Amleto Picerno Ceraso
Professor of Computational Design, University of Naples “Federico II”; Architect, CEO and Founder of Medaarch, CEO of Mediterranea Design
Amleto Picerno Ceraso is an architect specialising in computational design and digital fabrication. He is the co-founder and scientific director of Medaarch, a multidisciplinary design and research practice working at the intersection of architecture, engineering and digital technologies. Under his direction, Medaarch operates as a centre of excellence engaged in R&D on sustainable materials — bioplastics and bio-fabrication — and on new architectural solutions grounded in Industry 4.0 processes. He leads on the development of the CCIs Skills Strategy under the RenAIssance Erasmus+ Blueprint project and also coordinates European training programmes, including the Erasmus+ project DigiCraft5.0, which investigates the impact of emerging technologies on urban regeneration, on the city and on the future of work.
Jenny Kornmacher
Cultural & Creative Industries Development & International Relations – Region Skåne
Jenny Kornmacher works with the development of cultural and creative industries for Region Skåne. Her work centres on promoting innovation both within the creative sector and by harnessing its innovation potential through collaboration with other industries and areas of society: cross innovation. She is passionate about developing new methods, processes and frameworks for sustainability and innovation through cross-sector collaboration.
She also works extensively with skills development and lifelong learning within the cultural and creative industries. In 2025, she initiated and established the Regional Skills Partnership for the cultural and creative industries in Skåne, bringing together stakeholders from the sector, education and public organisations to strengthen the region’s long-term skills ecosystem.
As a policymaker, she has worked for regional and national governments as well as the EU initiative EIT Culture & Creativity on cultural and creative industries, innovation and regional development.
Martijn Blom
Fund Development Advisor, Impact Europe
Martijn Blom is a Fund Development Advisor at Impact Europe, specialising in impact investment and fund development, with a particular focus on the cultural and creative sectors. He has over 15 years of experience as an impact investor, fund manager and advisor across Europe and Africa. He is co-author of DOEN Foundation’s study on impact investing in the cultural and creative sector and works with investors, fund managers and policymakers to advance the field.
Barbara Revelli
Head of Programmes, ELIA
Barbara Revelli is the Head of Programmes at ELIA, the globally connected European network for higher arts education. With over fifteen years of experience in strategy, policy, international projects, events, and content development within the cultural and creative industries and arts education, she has been a key figure at ELIA since 2011. Barbara has led several pan-European projects, including the large-scale Cyanotypes initiative focused on skills development in the Cultural and Creative Industries. She also manages various working groups and fosters partnerships and knowledge exchange across diverse communities. Prior to ELIA, Barbara worked in cinema, media production, and the fashion industry and has a background in Arts and Cinema studies from Italy and Paris. Her experience at GRI – Global Reporting Initiative, a leader in CSR and sustainability reporting, deepened her focus on the intersection of ecology and creativity.
Seán Boyle
ScreenWorks Lead, Into Film
Seán Boyle is ScreenWorks Lead at Into Film. Unique to Northern Ireland, the ScreenWorks programme provides over 450 young people each year with hands-on work experience opportunities across film, television, animation, gaming and VFX. Working in partnership with screen industry professionals and employers, Sean leads programmes that give young people direct access to industry experience, with a particular focus on widening access to careers across the screen sector.
Silja Suntola
Creative Industries Research Unit in South-Eastern University of Applied Sciences
Former studio co-owner and author of best-selling text-book Creative studiowork, Silja Sontola was the leader of the national Creative Industries Finland (2007-2014) programme, a strategic initiative for furthering the creative industries in Finland, a program led by the Ministries of Education and Culture and Employment and Economy. She currently works at Creative Industries Research Unit in South-Eastern University of Applied Sciences, focusing on the unit’s international projects and programmes.
Active in furthering discussion between policymakers, developers and business leaders in promoting awareness of the widening roles and opportunities of the creative economy. Her research interests include creative leadership, innovation, and the role of arts in organizational development and the wider society.
Susana Nogueira
Policy and Project Officer at EfVET European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training
Susana Nogueira has a background in Psychology and, since 2016, has been working at the intersection of Erasmus+ project management, vocational education and training (VET), skills development and European cooperation, managing and implementing European cooperation projects on behalf of EfVET, including Blueprint initiatives (CYANOTYPES and RenAIssance) and Centres of Vocational Excellence (MOSAIC) dedicated to the CCIs, with a growing focus on how VET can respond to the profound transformation of creative professions and industries.
Through these projects, Susana has been working on topics such as AI and emerging technologies, digital transformation, new occupational profiles, technical and creative skills, transversal competences, entrepreneurship, sustainability and vocational excellence. Susana coordinates EfVET Cultural and Creative Industries Working Group.
Lars Ebert
Secretary General of Culture Action Europe
Lars Ebert is Secretary General of Culture Action Europe, the main advocacy organisation for the cultural sector in Europe. Previously, he was co-director of H401 in Amsterdam and Deputy Director of the European League of Institutes of the Arts.
He has a specific interest in participatory practices and publishes regularly on topics including new forms of collective leadership, cultural democracy and ecosystemic approaches to sector representation, as well as art-based research and the innovative potential of cultural practices for more sustainable societies. His recent publications include a.o. a contribution to the IFACCA World Summit on Arts and Culture (Seoul, 2025), a stock-taking article on artistic freedom in Europe in Boekman (#145), and a refelction on artistic research in Productive Archiving (Valiz, 2023).
Lucas Evers
Principal Researcher for Arts, Science and Society Waag Future Lab
Lucas Evers joined Waag in April 2007 and formerly lead Waag’s Open Wetlab and Make programme (FabLab, TextileLab and Open Wetlab). At Waag he worked and works projects concerning the between the arts and sciences, arts and ethics and the arts in a contemporary makers culture. These include Future Emerging Art and Technologies, Hack the Brain, Do It Together Bio, Critical Making and initiated Designers and Artists for Genomics Award (now Bio Art & Design Award).
Lucas Evers is trained as a visual artist and teacher at the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and studied political science at the University of Amsterdam. His interests lie in the way we can learn from the interactions, the differences and similarities, between artistic, scientific and other cultures of research.
Virginie Civrais
Director General / CEO, START
Virginie Civrais, who has been living in Belgium for 30 years, studied economics and graduated from the École du Louvre in Paris. Her professional career testifies to her involvement in the economic and cultural sectors. She held successive positions as Head of the Theatre, Dance, Audiovisual and Literature sector at the Botanique (Cultural Centre of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in Brussels), Secretary General of the Ars Musica Contemporary Music Festival (Brussels) and Deputy Director of Prométhéa, a non-profit organisation for cultural patronage (Brussels). Virginie has been leading ST’ART, the investment fund specialising in the cultural and creative industries ST’ART since its inception in 2009.
Nerea Rojas Mendieta
Coordinator, CreativeFED/ECBN
Nerea is the Coordinator of CreativeFED/ECBN, where she coordinates the federation’s activities and organises policy forums and spaces to foster policy dialogue at the European level. A political scientist specialising in cultural policy and the role of the cultural and creative industries, she has several years of experience working within higher education institutions, teaching cultural policy and the CCI ecosystem. Passionate about the role of culture in fostering social inclusion and community development, Nerea is committed to strengthening collaboration and policy dialogue across Europe’s cultural and creative sectors. She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Human Rights.
Melanie Coisne
Head of Heritage and Culture, King Baudouin Foundation
Melanie Coisne is Head of Heritage & Culture at the King Baudouin Foundation, where she develops and oversees philanthropic initiatives in the fields of heritage and culture. She is responsible for the stewardship of KBF’s heritage and art collections, while fostering partnerships that ensure their long-term preservation and public relevance. She also played a leading role in the launch of the Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts three years ago, in bringing together European foundations around a shared vision of arts and culture as drivers of social change.
Jan Vermoesen
General Manager, mediarte
Jan Vermoesen is General Manager of mediarte, the social fund for the Belgian audiovisual sector, where he works on skills, talent development, wellbeing and sustainable careers. His work focuses on connecting professionals, employers, education and sector partners to create stronger pathways into and through the audiovisual industry.
He is particularly interested in how learning ecosystems can help people develop not only skills, but also the networks, confidence and support needed to build resilient careers. Through mediarte and various European collaborations, Jan contributes to initiatives around lifelong learning, emerging skills, social dialogue and the future of work, with a strong emphasis on turning collaboration between organisations into practical and sustainable solutions.
Charlotte Gimfalk
Managing Director, National Assocation for Film and TV Skills, Sweden
Charlotte Gimfalk is the Managing Director of the National Association for Film and TV Skills in Sweden; where 12 major stakeholders collaborate to promote vocational training, validation, and micro credential certification aiming to create a more merit-based recruitment in film and tv and among freelancers. As a senior standards advisor, Charlotte collaborates with the industry, to define qualifications and career paths for the many professions that make up a full-scale film crew. In essence;
-Monitoring international occupational standards, creating micro credentials and reporting skills gaps in Swedish film and tv-industry.
-Working with educational providers matching learning outcomes to industry qualifications.
Siete Sirag
Educational Designer, Trainer & Researcher, HKU University of the Arts, Utrecht
Siete is an educational designer, trainer, and researcher at HKU University of the Arts Utrecht. He is an experienced designer of curricula and Life Long Learning programs within the fields of the Arts and Health and the crossovers between these two fields. He believes in the great value of creatives and creative approaches and uses that in his own way of working. Within the Cyanotypes project and community, Siete has been responsible for the Public Cluster within its framework.
Jacopo Guarneri
Department Coordinator, Accademia Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Jacopo Guarneri is Department Coordinator at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan. His work includes the management of university‑level programs and vocational courses, the project management of cultural initiatives, and the collaboration in the development of international projects within the performing arts sector. As an educator and lecturer, he has specialised in the evolution of technical and creative practices relating to new technologies in the field of live performance.
Willem-Jan Renger
Strategic Designer, Educator, Researcher, HKU University of the Arts, Utrecht
Willem-Jan Renger is a strategic designer, educator and researcher working at the intersection of design, learning and organisational transformation. At HKU University of the Arts Utrecht, he develops and teaches approaches to creative methodology, Ludodidactics and serious play, and works on research and innovation around new forms of agency and professional practice.
Alongside his work at HKU, he works as a strategic designer for the Municipality of Utrecht, applying design to complex public-sector challenges. His practice focuses on making complexity tangible: creating methods, games and interventions that help people question assumptions, explore different perspectives and turn abstract challenges into situations in which people can actually think, act and learn together.
Marco Cappellini
CEO and co-founder at Centrica and ArtCentrica, Co-founder and VicePresident of Edtech Italia, President and co-founder at ViDiTrust, CEO and co-founder at VirtuItaly
Marco Cappellini is an electronic engineer with more than 25 years experience in digital innovation in art and education. In 1999, he co-founded Centrica (www.centrica.it), an early mover in high-res digital-imaging, immersive experiences and enabling platforms, and has served as CEO since. His work at Centrica powers the startup ArtCentrica, which has received recognitino in key sector awards such as Digital Innovation in Art, GESAwards, 100-TO-WATCH, through it’s impactful focus on the intersection of art, education and AI. Marco also previously served as the technical manager of HYPERMUSEUM Project for CIVITA Consortium.
Annabelle Favreau
EU Project Manager
Annabelle Favreau is a senior expert specialising in European cooperation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, with over 20 years of experience in the design, management, and coordination of international projects funded by the European Union. Since 2004, she has been actively involved in the development of initiatives and public policies related to entrepreneurial education, public innovation, and business development.
She has led and managed projects funded through major European programmes, including Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Interreg, and COSME, fostering collaboration among public administrations, universities, businesses, and international organisations to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Nina Božič Yams
Manager of Societal Transformation at IVL – Swedish Environmental Research Institute
Nina Božič is the manager of Societal Transformation at IVL – Swedish Environmental Research Institute where she leads an interdisciplinary research group and community hub Weave. The group applies participatory action research through design and artistic methods, and builds on its expertise from areas such as innovation management, participatory design, artistic research, experiential futuring, complex systems theory, distributed leadership, and responsible AI, among others. Before coming to IVL, Nina worked as a senior researcher at RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden for 11 years. Previous to RISE, she earned a PhD in Innovation and Design from Mälardalen Univeristy, acted as director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive development CEED Slovenia, and as a management consultant at Deloitte, among others.
Georg Häusler
Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport, European
Commission (DG EAC)
Georg Häusler is the Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport in the European Commission (DG EAC). Prior to that, he was Director in another Commission department for seven years. He joined the Commission in 1999 and has had several senior posts including as Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, from 2009 to 2014. Before he began his Commission career, he was Secretary General of an EU-wide NGO. He studied law (PhD in 1993).
Paolo Montemurro
Director and Founder, Materahub
Paolo Montemurro is the Director and founder of Materahub, an organization dedicated to strengthening the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) across Europe. Central to his work is a focus on skills development and continuous learning to empower creative entrepreneurs, social innovators, and local organizations. As a member of the Creative Pact for Skills board, he plays an active role in shaping upskilling and reskilling initiatives for the creative workforce, ensuring the sector adapts to evolving market, digital, and green transitions.
Complementing his work in skills development, Montemurro brings extensive experience as an expert for policy and program development. He advises regional governments, public bodies, and international initiatives—such as the EU4Business program—on building resilient creative ecosystems and fostering cross-sector collaboration between culture, social innovation, and traditional economies.
Eric Pol
Board Chair, MyData Global
Eric serves as the Board Chair of MyData Global, a Helsinki-based, award-winning international non-profit advocating for individual rights over personal data through trustworthy governance for Data and AI. Celebrating its 10th anniversary with a network spanning over 45 countries, MyData Global unites governments, corporations, data scientists, academics, lawyers, DPOs and civil society to drive ethical, human-centric data and AI practices worldwide.
Eric brings a global “Think & Do” perspective to the organisation, backed by extensive experience in innovation financing across Europe, the USA, and Africa. His background spans private equity, venture capital, and corporate strategy, with a focus on health-related sectors, from biopharma, diagnostics and eHealth to genomics, data and renewable energy, as well as launching key infrastructure funds internationally.
Taras Lesiv
Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Research at the Lviv National Academy of Arts
Taras Lesiv is Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Research at the Lviv National Academy of Arts, Ukraine. He is an artist, researcher, and lecturer whose work focuses on art education, artistic research, and cultural heritage. He is actively involved in developing institutional and national approaches to artistic research and strengthening international cooperation in higher arts education.
José Manuel Colsa Maestro
Entrepreneur and Founder of Vamos Rural
His work is strongly driven by purpose: using technology and business as tools to generate positive impact, strengthen local communities and create sustainable opportunities in rural territories. Through Vamos Rural, he works on connecting local businesses, experiences and talent with wider national and international markets, combining technology, tourism, artificial intelligence and new business models. Beyond his entrepreneurial activity, José Manuel is also actively involved in building the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in his region. He organises one of the largest multisectorial events in his community, bringing together people from very different sectors around ideas, inspiration and TED-style talks.
Ariane De Vriendt
Advisor Creative Europe Culture
Department of Culture, Youth and Media of the Flemish Government | Creative Europe Desk Flanders
Ariane De Vriendt advises Flemish organisations on the Creative Europe Culture programme. Since 2024, she has supported cultural organisations in building international partnerships and accessing European funding, drawing on her experience in European project management and EU cultural policy.
Ann Becker
Senior Vice President and Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Video Games EuropeMyData Global, and Chair of Creativity Works!
Ann Becker is Senior Vice President and Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Video Games Europe, where she leads the association’s work representing the video games sector in EU policy and public affairs. She has extensive experience working across Europe’s cultural and creative sectors, having previously held senior roles with the European Publishers Council, Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Lagardère. Ann also specialises in intellectual property and copyright policy, with a particular focus on how EU policy can support creativity, innovation and growth in Europe’s creative industries. Ann is also the Chair of Creativity Works!, a coalition in Europe dedicated to promoting creativity, cultural diversity, and the economic contributions of the cultural and creative sectors.
Anita Debaere
Director of Pearle*-Live Performance Europe
Anita Debaere is Director of Pearle*-Live Performance Europe. This pan-European federation counts, through its member associations, more than 13 000 organisations in the live performance ecosystem. Anita Debaere worked in the music sector and for an energy company before joining Pearle*. Anita Debaere sits in different steering committees of European projects; she is regularly invited to give expert views on sectoral questions at conferences, stakeholder meetings, in research and studies, in particular in relation to cultural mobility and on policy questions.
Annemie Verlinden
Financial Coordinator at Cultuurloket
Annemie Verlinden is financial coordinator at Cultuurloket and specialises in financial management and funding solutions. Within the team, she is responsible for preparing the budget, monitoring financial planning and managing accounting and financial processes. She also maintains contacts with European partner organisations on collaboration and knowledge exchange. Before joining Cultuurloket, she worked as a business adviser and start-up coach at BNP Paribas Fortis. Outside of work, she plays piano, explores music production and publishes a guitar method.
Astrid Hannes
Head of Projects at ERRIN, the European Regions Research and Innovation Network
Astrid Hannes is Head of Projects at ERRIN, the European Regions Research and Innovation Network, a well-known Brussels-based network of 130 regional organisations from 26 European countries. ERRIN supports its members in enhancing their regional R&I capacities and developing innovation ecosystems and maintains a long-standing relationship with the EU institutions and other organisations to strengthen the regional and local dimension in EU Research and Innovation policy and programmes. Astrid is leading ERRIN’s work on Skills and Education in ERRIN’s Science and Education for Society Working Group and has supported ERRIN members pioneering regional skills ecosystems in the CHARTER Skills Alliance for Cultural Heritage project.
Daniela Santopolo
Policy Officer for skills at the European Commission
Daniela Santopolo is policy officer for skills at the European Commission, more specifically in the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Daniela has over 10 years of experience in the European Commission, in the area of education and training for green technologies and she is currently in charge of the implementation of Net-Zero industry Academies, stemming from the Net-Zero Industry Act.
Umberto Bellodi
Accademia La Scala
Since 2003, he has collaborated with the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala in Milan, coordinating cultural, technical, and artistic training and research projects. He is currently coordinating Cooperation and International projects for the Accademia and advising the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency in Brussels as an expert evaluator and vice-chair. He is also active at regional and community level leading cultural organisations based in the Southern Lombardy area. In the frame of the Large Scale Partnership for the Cultural and Creative Industries, he is coordinating the Working Group on cross-sectoral innovation.
Denise Stanley
Founder/Director of CLOCK YOUR SKILLS
Founder/Director of CLOCK YOUR SKILLS Programme for the recognition and validation of non-formal learning delivered by TULIP Peer2Peer Learning BV in Europe and TULIP Peer2Peer Learning Ltd in other continents. Co-producer of micro-credentials in VITAL ARTS powered by CLOCK, Australian Research Council funded project for recognition of transferable skills learned non-formally through youth arts activities.
Megan Best
Managing Director of Native
Events and Director at Julie’s Bicycle Europe
Megan Best is a leading voice in environmental sustainability for the cultural and event sectors. Following an early career in the UK and New Zealand, she spent more than a decade making the Body&Soul Festival a benchmark for circular events in Ireland, before co-founding Native Events in 2017. Now Managing Director of Native Events and Director at Julie’s Bicycle Europe, Megan combines degrees in Forestry &
Conservation, Environmental Sustainability, and Climate Entrepreneurship to drive circular economy solutions and creative climate action across the sector. A published author of sector-wide climate toolkits, Megan also curates and hosts The Green Room on Dublin City FM every week – proving that you can talk about the circular economy on live radio without making 500,000 people change the channel.
GiannaLia Cogliandro Beyens
Secretary General, ENCATC
Since 2004, GiannaLia Cogliandro Beyens is the Secretary General of the European network on cultural management and policy, ENCATC. She is also the administrator of the Thomassen mobility programme and serves on several boards. GiannaLia is an expert in EU affairs and international relations, with more than 30 years’ experience in advocacy, cultural policy, and strategic management, in the context of international cultural NGO. Since 1998, GiannaLia has also successfully designed, drafted, and managed a large number of EU cross-sectorial projects in the field of culture, education, and research.
Former Policy Officer of the Cultural Forum of EUROCITIES, GiannaLia was also Secretary General of the Association of the European Cities of Culture , AECC. Journalist since 1993, she started her career as Press & PR Officer for the N.A.T.O organisation in Rome. For the European Commission, she wrote 10 Reports on social European policy and a major study on the European Cities of Culture of the year 2000. Educated at the University “La Sapienza” in Rome, GiannaLia holds a Degree in Political Sciences – International Relations and two additional masters in European & International Career Studies, and a in European Constitution. Since 1993, GiannaLia is member of the Association of the Former trainees of the European Union.
José Carlos Ceballos Gómez
Director of the International Area at CISE – Fundación UCEIF
José Carlos Ceballos Gómez is Director of the International Area at CISE – Fundación UCEIF, where he leads the organisation’s participation in European programmes and international partnerships. He has over 15 years of experience in European cooperation and innovation projects, particularly in entrepreneurship, skills development, social innovation and territorial development. He has extensive experience in EU programmes including Interreg, AMIF, Creative Europe, Erasmus+, COSME, and is actively involved in European networks and initiatives connecting entrepreneurship, skills, culture and sustainable development.
Flora Croce
Cultural Sector Professional
Flora Croce is a cultural sector professional based in Brussels, specialising in membership management, communication and project management for European performing arts organisations. She currently serves as Membership & Communication Officer at Pearle* Live Performance Europe, the European employer organisation for the live performance sector, where she has been working since 2022. Previously, Flora worked at Liveurope and the European Early Music Network (REMA-EEMN). Flora holds a Master’s degree in International Cultural Projects from Université Paris Saclay and another in History and English from Université Paris-Sorbonne.
Nathalie Marchal
Creative Europe Culture Desk Wallonia-Brussels
For nearly 30 years, Nathalie has worked at the Ministry of Culture, where she has been involved in the development of cultural policies, primarily in the fields of languages, literature and book sector, as Director of the Language and Language Policy Department and as Adviser to the Minister for Culture. For the past four years, she heads up the Creative Europe Culture Desk Wallonia-Brussels, which helps project leaders to get European funding opportunities.
Brigitte Chanoine
Rector of ICHEC Brussels Management School
Since 1990, Brigitte Chanoine has held a series of progressively senior positions within the Finance Department at ICHEC Brussels Management School. She has served as Rector of the institution since September 2008 and served as Director-President of the University College ICHEC-ECAM-ISFSC from September 2009 to September 2025. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Engineering from ICHEC, a Master’s degree in Finance from UCL (Université catholique de Louvain), and a Doctorate in Business Administration (PhD in Finance) from UCL. She sits on several advisory boards and boards of directors. She has served as a board member of ARES since 2018 and of the Fondation pour l’Enseignement since 2015. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of ACIS Belgium and is a member of the “Manager of the Year” jury. She has also volunteered with AACSB since 2020.
In March 2011, she was recognized as one of the 100 Exceptional Women of Belgium, and in June 2022, she was named an Honorary Citizen of the Municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre.
David McConnell
Head of Education at Northern Ireland Screen
David is Head of Education at Northern Ireland Screen, which is committed to maximising the economic, cultural and educational value of the screen industries for Northern Ireland and the development of a dynamic and sustainable screen industry and culture. David is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of Northern Ireland Screen’s educational policy, working closely with Northern Ireland’s three Creative Learning Centres, Into Film and Cinemagic, in providing support and training for young people and teachers in creative digital technologies. In collaboration with key partners, David is responsible for providing opportunities for careers advice, and work experience for young people within the expanding screen industries.
Barbara Stacher
Senior Expert EU-Commission, EU cultural and creative sectors and industries’ policies
Barbara is from Vienna/Austria and is a Senior Expert at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC)’s Cultural Policy Unit. Her field of work is cultural policy making, in particular the crossroads of cultural and creative sectors/ industries/spaces, as well as innovation, competitiveness and financing. She also focusses on artists’ and creative professionals’ working conditions and worked with the OMC (Open Method of Coordination) EU Member States’ expert group, with EU social partners and stakeholders, and now on the EU Artists’ Charter of the Culture Compass for Europe.
