August, the 31th, 15:00 Cultural Foundation IZOLYATSIA in Mariupol opens a discussion The Big Push + or creative industries as a motor for the Ukrainian economy. Moderator Maria Frey. Invited expert Hanna Agafonova.

The IZOLYATSIA foundation progress the establishing of its representation in Mariupol. The activities of the foundation are targeted at the network development and linkages with a local community in this period. The first projects and programs are dedicated to the development of the city. The discussion about the opportunities and mechanisms of creative economy will take place in frame of the Donbass Studies program, which is provided by the foundation with kind support of the MATRA program of the Royal Embassy of Netherlands.

As an introduction to discussion, the expert will explain the concept of The Big Push development model and discuss its feasibility for Ukraine with the local community of Mariupol. The development of creative industries in Ukraine is still not on the agenda of local community development. What causes the economic ignorance to the creative industries? What are the relations between the creative industries development and the economic growth? Who are the key agents of development in the creative economy? These issues will be discussed during the debate.

The meeting will include two parts. The first part is dedicated to the industrialization mechanisms, which conditions the economic growth, as well as possibilities of creative industries as the potential new industry. The second part is focused on the pluralism issues, diversification of the economy, and consequences of the de-communization law for cultural and economic potential of Mariupol.

Hanna Agafonova (Donetsk-Nuremberg) – Advisor of the IZOLYATSIA foundation since 2011. A fellowship holder of the German Academic Exchange Service and a graduate of the Goerdeller College for Good Governance. Currently, Hanna is receiving training at the University Friedrich-Alexander (Nuremberg), course for Development Economics and International Studies, which explores the creative clusters as a phenotype of the Economies of Scale.

The project is supported by the Human Rights Foundation of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.