The ingenuity and creativity of entrepreneurs from small to medium enterprises have been the backbone of Serbia’s economic growth over the last decade. But the country’s cultural industries have not managed to take off due to limited access to finance and skills to jump start businesses in the creative sector.

With funding from UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity, the Serbian non-profit association Academica launched a hands-on training programme to help bolster the sector in Mokra Gora, Drvengrad, Kragujevac and Belgrade. The focus was on creative entrepreneurs from rural and impoverished areas where employment opportunities are scarce.

In total, 164 participants from 33 municipalities/communities completed 12 training courses successfully. The curriculum was vast and innovative. It merged theoretical and practical modules covering topics such as entrepreneurship, music industry, and interactive software, which were carefully designed to help trainees set up dynamic businesses and participate more actively in national and regional cultural marketplaces.

But skills’ training was not the only support provided by Academica. Six of the most promising organisations and small companies attending the course were selected to receive seed funding from the NGO’s pilot fund to support regional cultural industries. The grants are conceived to help kick-start some of the most creative and viable business models.

Academica’s team continues mentoring the entrepreneurs who received grants and, through their social networks, they also keep in regular contact with the other trainees. The success of the courses has triggered interest from the London-based Greenwich University, which is considering accrediting the programme. This, alongside the NGO’s plans to impart the modules through summer camps, webinars and internships, has injected new energy into Serbia’s creative sectors.