Growth Reimagined at CIM Forum

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Growth Reimagined offers a unique opportunity to experience the vibrant and rapidly evolving creative scene of the Western Balkans at its best, with Kotor serving as a vibrant hub for exchange and collaboration.

In partnership with CIM Forum and BEYOND Studio, the British Council is presenting Growth Reimagined – a one-and-a-half-day programme on the creative economy as part of CIM Forum 2025, taking place in Kotor from 29 to 30 May 2025. We are bringing together expertise from the UK and across the region, creating opportunities for connection and knowledge exchange among creative economy professionals.

Themes like policy and advocacy, digital impact and emerging technologies, entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as the reinvention of cultural spaces will be explored through the lens of partnerships, highlighting their role in unlocking opportunities and addressing challenges in the creative economy.

The creative industries play a crucial role in generating employment, attracting investment, and increasing exports, while also contributing to place-based regeneration and the preservation of cultural heritage. By convening voices from across the Western Balkans and Wider Europe region including Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan alongside the UK, the event facilitates connections, encourages cross-border exchange, and supports the sustainable growth of the creative industries.

This event will provide a platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and the exchange of best practices to support the development of a connected Western Balkans and Wider Europe creative market.

SESSIONS

POLICY & ADVOCACY

Getting the policy makers onside and getting funding from institutions. Creating policies that enable the creative industry and drive the growth of the creative economy.

Case Study – UK
Case Study – Western Balkans
Case Study – Wider Europe
Measuring Success and Impact

ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION

Building the skill and talent base and the approaches to entrepreneurship and innovation that enable the development of new and growth of existing creative clusters and networks.

Creative Talent – Growth and Development
The Creator Economy
Futureproofing Skills and Training

REINVENTING CULTURAL SPACES

Where do you invest and grow your creative economy - placemaking both physical space, infrastructure and creative communities that provide the foundation for a successful creative cluster whilst nurturing existing initiatives, skillsets and traditions.

Case Study – Western Balkans
Case Study – UK
Case Study – Wider Europe
Placemaking and Creative Communities

DIGITAL IMPACT AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

The new technologies, opportunities and challenges that need to be considered and addressed for success - how to leverage the incredible opportunities offered by AI, etc whilst navigating the challenges. Building in the tech from the ground up. Advantage: not having to re-align existing industries.

Wonder Panic: Creativity & Generative AI
Case Study – Virtual Production / Immersive Performance
Brave New Futures

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About the British Council’s arts work in Wider Europe

For over 80 years, the British Council has been building connections between the UK and Wider Europe. Our work in the arts focuses on enabling artistic exchange, advancing the development of the creative economy in the region, and catalysing how the arts can help to address critical global challenges. We partner with artists, creative professionals, organisations, and institutions—together, we champion the arts as a powerful force for innovation and positive change.

Through our Creative Economy programme, we share knowledge, expertise, and networks with creative professionals and policymakers, enabling them to drive change and shape resilient creative economies. Our work focuses on policy, research, advocacy, and capacity building, and plays a key role in fostering creativity, supporting sustainable growth, and encouraging a collaborative approach to creative economy development across the region.

About BEYOND Studio

BEYOND Studio is an independent team of specialists in event direction, communications, and partner engagement for the Creative Industries. As the creators of the BEYOND Conference, the Immersive Futures Lab, and the Creative Economy Digest, they drive initiatives that foster innovation and collaboration.